


Sanscest One-Shots

by findingmysolace



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:01:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 96,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29572890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/findingmysolace/pseuds/findingmysolace
Summary: Just a few cringy cute ideas that hit me square in the face at ungoldy hours that I figured were good enough to share and a few requests by readers. I'm down to take some requests too. Love me a good challenge from time to time.
Relationships: AfterDeath - Relationship, Cream - Relationship, Crossmare, Errink, HorrorLust, Killmare - Relationship, Krème, Poth - Relationship, dustberry
Comments: 5
Kudos: 21





	1. Afterdeath: Dead flowers are much better

Geno sighed as he leaned up against the trunk of the tree. Finally having enough magic on his side to leave the save screen void he had grown accustomed to alone, he brought himself to the edge of a forest, one that Reaper had appointed as his favorite clearing and the location of their first outing, and damn was he right about it being calming. The view of a flower-filled field paired with the waters rushing in a nearby river, the white-clad skeleton could've easily dozed off, the soft rustling of the dead branches above alerting the smaller of the other's presence.

"You gonna get down here asshole or stay up there?" He inquired, not even bothering to look up since he knew exactly who the spectator was.

"How'd you know?" The god asked with a snicker as he continued to hover above him, gently shaking the branches to rid them of their dead leaves.

"Who else is obsessed with annoying me as much as you are?" He remarked, hearing his deep chuckle as he lied onto one of the cleared lower-lying branches.

"What can I say? I'm infatuated by you~" he purred, Geno rolling his eye with a smile.

"Whatever," he felt the corners of his mouth perk up softy when he heard him laugh once more, "so why are we here? And aren't you supposed to be on duty?"

"Paps said he'd cover for me while I took a 'mental break'. Says I deserve it or something," he explained with a shrug, "checked in at your place, didn't see you there, so I figured you came here."

"He couldn't be any more wrong," Geno teased, his tone lighter than before.

Both sat in a comfortable silence to listen to the soft breeze pick up, the heavy sigh from above bringing Geno's gaze up to find Reaper sprawled over the branch, moving his hand dramatically with the gentle winds.

"Can I help you?" He inquired jokingly as he raised his bone brow.

"I'm bored," he murmured, Geno shrugging to that.

"I can't help with that." He answered simply, smirking when he saw his smile.

"There's bound to be some idea inside that beautiful mind of yours," a grin lit up his features as Geno moved to bury his face into his scarf, making a clear attempt to hide the red that stained his face at the minor compliment.

"I don't know. It's kinda hard to do shit when you're trapped in a void forever." He glanced away to observe the colorful fields.

Reaper exhaled loudly at the response, lying back down the way he was to think of something to entertain himself and Geno with and sighing once more when nothing came to mind, unleashing another equally loud in volume and smiling big when he spotted minute annoyance flash across the other's face.

"Damn, how about flower crowns? That sound like some fun?" Reaper faltered at the mention of something as childish as decorative crowns, swinging down with the thought of snagging a quick glance at his aggravated expression, his empty sockets widening in surprise saw the complete opposite greet him.

Guess he really did intend on making some crowns.

"You... You know how to make them?"

Geno gave a terse nod, letting his line of sight fall onto the colorful field that lied before them, "well yeah. All I had access to was the flower field in the ruins, so I thought why the fuck not."

"Could you teach me?" Geno nodded and gestured for him to approach his side, the god happily complying.  
He took this as an excuse to sit especially close beside him and rest his head on his shoulder. Geno laughed and nudged him off, earning a peculiar look from Death.

"I didn't call you here to sit. Go get some flowers, ya dummy." He laughed as he smacked the side of his head softy.  
Reaper's reflexes were as sharp as always, acting quick and grabbing a gentle hold onto the smaller's hand for a moment longer, sliding it down so that cupped his own cheekbone with Geno's hand.

"Suppose I accomplish the task. What would I get in return?~" he mumbled lowly, Geno's blush as clear as day.

"Well. I would like to get my hand in return," he pulled that away slowly, the pace implying his hidden desire to feel the grip on his hand tighten before he actually lost all contact. Reaper was certainly glad to experience that subtle hint, guiding the smaller's bony fingers down along his jawline only to a brief pause before his 'lips'.

"I was asking more for me, love," he reiterated, waiting and watching the white-clad skeleton melt before his eyes.

"You get a crown, obviously," though his answer had been downplayed to keep his pride intact, the black-clad skeleton could appreciate the subtle confession.

"Sounds liek a reasonable trade," Reaper slowly of his hand, his fingertips brushing against his downward-facing palms, "I won't be long." He stood up and walked out into the field to gather what the smaller needed.

Geno busied his mind, trying to rid the blush that dusted his cheekbones and began picking the flowers around him. It had been quite some time since he made one, clumsily running through the simple steps to avoid looking like a fool in front of the cocky god. Geno had been caught up in weaving the stems together properly that he had forgotten that he sent Reaper, the skeleton with a deadly touch, off to collect flowers that were very much alive.

Reaper kneeled down for the umpteenth time, his hand gingerly inching toward the delicate flower slowly, and watched it shudder at his presence before folding over to rot the rich leaves and colorful petals it had to offer. He snatched it off the ground with a low growl and added it into his already growing pile of rotting dead roses. He had promised Geno to get him some flowers, the smaller had even indulged in his silly request, and yet he couldn't complete that simple task. He found a white lily, the very flower that is considered to be Death's flower, and hurried over to snatch it up, believing that maybe he'd be able to return to Geno's side with the flower intact if he was a smidge faster with its delivery. He scooped it up, flinching lightly, and saw it still holding onto its beautiful form. It worked and the god wasted no time. He teleported back to Geno and held the lily proudly before him, gaining the smaller's attention almost instantly. Geno glanced up and watched the flower shrivel and die, biting his tongue lightly as he recalled his lover's cursed ability to kill anything with his mere touch only. Regret hit him head-on when that realization was paired with the fact that he sent him out to get them of all things. Reaper noted the lack of response from his partner and looked at the flower in his hands, becoming frustrated with its deceased appearance.

"Why can I get this right?!" He threw the dead flowers to the ground, the sudden outburst startling Geno.

Not wanting to see the taller so distraught during his short break from his duty, the smaller took a cautious step forward, "hey it's okay-"

"No, no, it's not. There isn't a single thing I can accomplish without killing it first and it's aggravating."

Geno wasn't having any of his nonsense, letting the taller prattle on while kneeling down and collecting the dead flowers that fell by his feet. Slowly, he began to lace them together just as he had done before, listening to his tirade come to a halt and a quiet sigh follow shortly after.

"There's no need for this pity, Geno. Just admit I failed you and I'll take you back home," he grumbled, his previously jovial mood crashing at the pitiful sight of the dead crown in his beloved's hands.

Geno's gaze aligned with his as he finished off the last stem, raising the crown up and resting it atop the other's skull with a comforting smile. Reaper mustered a light chuckle, reaching up to touch his reward only to feel his hand be smacked away jokingly before his arms were around his neck.

"Can't pity them when I like them better dead." He admitted calmly, gently clanking his teeth against the cheekbone that tinged with cyan before embracing him.

Reaper was astounded to experience this affectionate side of his lover but wasn't opposing in the slightest, returning the gesture, not knowing exactly when to let go but was glad that Geno hadn't tried to put up such a strong front and worm his way out of his grasp. Not yet, at least.

Not a moment later, the arms that held him loosened their hold, the gesture accompanied by the question asking, "you gonna let me go now?"

Reaper's deep chuckle and tightening grip proved otherwise, Geno in no place to complain. He can appreciate the quieter, far sweeter moments with him, much like this one. When he wasn't busy trying to get in his pants or reaping souls, Reaper was usually very innocent with his touches. His grasps always gentle, his hugs warm and lingering a moment or two longer, and his deep voice calm and collected. He felt the taller shift slightly, both pulling away to feel his large hand cup the right side of his face. His thumb grazed over his cheekbone several times, causing them to flush with the magic's red hue.

"Gods, I love you so much, Gen." he whispered as if those words were something sacred and not meant to be repeated again and again, the color that dusting his cheeks growing in intensity.

"Love you too, asshole." Geno teased, sticking his tongue out playfully.

A low chuckle bubbled out the taller and the short distance between them becoming nonexistent due to a kiss. Nothing could possibly ruin this moment for either of them. That was until Geno felt a cold hand carefully sliding up his shirt and fingers dance against his sensitive lower ribs. With wide sockets, the smaller pulled away quickly, Reaper still leaning in a loving haze and burying his face into the crook of his neck, ignoring the hands that weakly pushed at his shoulders.

"Oh hell no. Not this time," he muttered as he finally pushed his intruding hands away, crossed his arms as he turned his back to Reaper, hearing his laughter follow.

"Geno~" he set his head on the other's shoulder, wrapping his arms around his torso and pressing him flush against his own body, "we both know you want to~"

"I'm almost certain that it's just your horny ass," he huffed, ignoring the magic that left his face burning bright and focusing solely on the hands that attempted to wander over his bones.

"Almost? So there is some hope?" Reaper's inquiry earned him a light glare, the smile on his lover's face betraying his wordless head shake entirely, "I'm sure you'd love it, Gen."

"I guess if you're gentle," the roll of his eye and reluctance to accept the suggestive comment stirred a laugh from the god, a portal being summoned as he was swept off his feet by the eager reaper.

"As you wish, my love~"


	2. Afterdeath: Cherish those photographs

He lifted one tired foot and then the other, carefully levitating above the now dead grass beneath him. With an exhausted huff, he floated up to the low lying branches of the one dead tree among the lush forest. After a long day of being surrounded by souls that uttered nothing but harsh comments and blood boiling insults, listening to the living woodland creatures chatter amongst themselves was blissful. He reached into his dark robe, pulling out a paper that has been folded many times over, and slowly unfolded it so that the old parchment remained intact. Once opened up, he noticed how the folds ruined the color along that line. He was glad to see that his lover's face remained untainted. The god was glad he had rebelled against the rules for a monster like him. A gentle bony finger laid atop his rosy cheekbones as a smile tugged at his lips as the memory resurfaced. He was never the one to act cute, so this picture coming out that way was a miracle he thanks constantly. It was that day when he finally got his harder outer shell to crack with a vacation. He could practically hear the waves rolling in as his mind ventured further into the memory. The bright red scarf flaunting in the breeze as he watched his lover run off toward the large body of water. It was his first time out of the dark atmosphere of the save screen and into the warm sunny weather of Hawaii's beaches.

"Reaper! Look!" His waving hand brought his attention back.

"What is it?" He inquired, remaining seated on the towel beneath the large red and black umbrella.

"Come here!" He gestured for him to come near, but only saw his head shake and a finger point to the water while the other hand's index finger drew a line across his neck. His lover understood the subtle gesture and ran back to him with a large shell in his hands.

"Look at this! Is it beautiful? Just wait. It gets better." He chattered excitedly, sitting down in front of him to rest the shell on the small space in between them.

The reaper observed the shell for a minute, about to give up on the idea of finding anything remotely interesting until he saw a small head poke out. Now he watched amusedly as the crab hiding inside hurriedly crawled off the beach to bury itself into the sand as a hiding spot. His attention shifted from the now hidden crab to his lover when he heard him giggle happily. He took this moment to snap a photo, resulting in the one that he held in his hand.

The sound of ducks quacking brought Reaper back from his memories and into the real world. He blinked a few times as he tried to adjust to the lack of bright sunlight. His attention shifted to the photo held in his hand and he beamed.

"You're so silly, Geno." He murmured with a soft shake of his head as he gently folded it back up.

He pushed it into the inner pocket of his robe and reached for the one behind it. This photo was slightly larger than the other one, causing it to contain a bit more folds than the last one. Once unfolded, he released a heavy sigh. His smile softened when he took note of the frilly white wedding dress and the one who wore the extravagant attire. As expected, his red scarf was still donned upon his shoulders and the shimmering veil was pushed back as the two kissed. Blue flower petals were scattered around the edges of the picture, but none of them came in front of the camera and ruined the photo of the official wedding day kiss. Once again he was sent back into a world of pleasant memories and watched his own wedding play out. Geno walked down the altar with his head ducked low to hide the red glow of his cheekbones and held several dozen echo flowers in his hand. There weren't many people who attended the God of Death's wedding. Not only would they refuse the invitation, but there would also be a war against him. Reaper remembered seeing his lips move softly as the distance between the two became nonexistent. Although the only three there were Reaper's brother, the God of Life herself, and the Frisk from Geno's save screen, the 'bride' couldn't find it in himself to say the vows he had planned aloud. Instead, he raised the flowers toward him and ducked his blushing face. Reaper was having none of that, especially on a day like this. He carefully reached beneath the shimmering veil that hid his face from him and slightly tilted his chin upward to meet his gaze. That simple gesture created a darker blush on him if that was in any way possible, and both listened to his vows being replayed over the flowers.

"I never realized that even in darkness there's some tiny speck of light that is willing to shine brighter, and, no matter how hard you try to push it away, it'll keep coming back for you. I've been stuck in that eternal prison for so long that I forgot what socialization even was. I think if Frisk wasn't there, I would've gone insane. But then you showed up. God, did you make my life a living hell." Reaper snickered at that as he lifted his veil to press his forehead softly against his. "I wanted you to leave for so long and, when you finally did, I felt empty. Like I wanted you to bother me, annoy me, mess with me," there was a pause, "...flirt with me. Because no matter how much I claimed I hated it, I wanted to hear more. I craved your attention, your presence, and, in time, your touch. Fuck, you've got me just as messed up as a druggie. I want you and only you, and-" Reaper's sockets shut when he heard his voice crack, "-and I'm glad you chose me to break your rules for. I'm glad you saved me. A-And I wanna save you too. I want to be there for you when you need me just like you did for me. I-I love you!" His sockets were half-lidded when he heard that and pulled his closer.

"I love you too, Gen." he murmured quietly as he pulled him into a kiss.

"BROTHER! I WAS SUPPOSED TO SAY MY LINES!" Geno pulled away, a quiet giggle escaping his lips as he tried to muster an apology.

"S-Sorry P-Paps."

"APOLOGY ACCEPTED! NOW," he cleared his throat and all became silent, "Geno?" His voice was spine-chillingly soft now, the pair dismissing it in favor of focusing on one another. "Do you take my brother to be your husband? For the eternity you are to be alive? Through any troubles that may present themselves?"

"Of course I do."

Those words alone made the God of Death's soul flutter.

"And you, brother? Y-You, you vow to do the same?" Both looked over to see Papyrus almost in tears with a huge smile on his face.

"I didn't get to say my vows though." Geno held back his laugh and Papyrus seemed like he was ready to explode.

"BROTHER! WE REHEARSED THIS SO MANY TIMES AT HOME AND YOU-" Papyrus cut himself off and took in a deep breath, "NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. LET'S PRESS ON." He mumbled to himself, both newlyweds laughing quietly. "Do you take Geno as your husband for the eternity you are to remain alive, brother?"

"I'd have to be crazy if I said no." Geno smiled softly as he glanced away shyly, "I do." After saying that, he didn't even wait for a second to meet his husband's lips once again.

The poor reaper was caught up in the memory, almost falling off the tree with how far he leaned forward. He quickly blinked a few times and watched his surroundings become more of the luscious forest he was in. He sighed in bliss as he folded up that photo and pulled out the last one he kept with him at all times. It was in a similar condition as the two before, only this time there was someone new in the photo. Geno was kneeling and his hands were stretched out before him. On the opposite side was a small toddler wearing an oversized cloak wobbling on his tiny feet with a bright red pacifier in his mouth as he struggled to walk toward his mother figure. Reaper's beam was reduced to a nostalgia-infected smile as recalled the next biggest moment in both their lives. The moment Goth had taken his first steps. He could hear his son's cries as he fell forward onto his hands.

"Come on, Gothy. Come to momma." Geno cooed, Goth's pacifier falling out his mouth as he tries to stand himself up again.

Reaper kneeled down beside his son, softly putting his hand on his small shoulders.

"I believe in you, kiddo. Go to mommy." He murmured, kissing his cheekbone before moving his hand away from him.  
Goth took his first step forward, Geno's single eyelight shining bright as he cheered him on.

"You're so close. A few more steps." He began gesturing to him in hopes to get him to approach him faster.

Another step was taken, Reaper's soul swelling with pride as he watched him continue to take cautious steps. With three more taken, Goth found himself scooped up into Geno's arms as he spun him around happily. His laughter bubbled up as Geno pulled him closer to him.

"I'm so proud of you! My baby!" Geno pressed a kiss against the side of his head before hugging him tightly.  
Geno took a seat, setting Goth's feet to the ground, "Now go to daddy." He instructed, pointing to Reaper, who waved lazily to them both.

Goth giggled happily as he headed towards him. This time faster and with more confidence. He would've been fine if his favorite cloak that he wore didn't get caught in his feet. Sockets widened, he lunged forward and caught him in his arms.

"Slow down there, bud." He wiped away the tears that started to form at the ends of his socket. "That would've been a nasty fall." He held him in his arms and levitated, his back facing the ground and Goth perched on his nonexistent stomach.

"Show off." Geno tsked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Aww come on, Gen. Are you jealous?" He smirked when he saw a dusty red hue plaster across his face.

"N-No." he coughed out, blushing harder at the embarrassment of stuttering at a question like that.

He let out a snicker as he came down from his levitation and held an arm open for him. Geno huffed, glancing away from him playfully. He felt his arm snake around his waist, and, with a soft squeak, was pulled closer to him.

"Love you too, Gen." he pressed a kiss on his nasal bone, which Geno replied with a dead glare.

"We've been married for a few months and you still manage to miss." He deadpanned, Reaper cocking his head slightly.

He was about to question him on what he meant but didn't get the chance to since Geno smashed his teeth against his own. He smiled into the kiss, returning the kind gesture just as it was presented.

"I knew I'd find you here."

Those words snapped him out of his memories instantly. He glanced down to find Geno looking up at him with a false frown.

"You plan on coming back home anytime soon?" He teased, Reaper coming down from the branch he was perched upon.

"I decided to hit up memory lane before I came back for dinner." He informed, showing off the picture in his hand.  
Geno hummed softly with a gentle smile on his face, "Seems like it was just yesterday, huh?"

"Nah. Not really." That retort earned him a soft jab in the chest.

"Shut up." Both shared a laugh as Geno folded the image carefully. "Now come on. Goth invited us to Pastel's birthday. We can't miss that."

"What are we even gonna get the little guy? We already got him a coloring book set a few weeks ago." Reaper mumbled as he set the picture back into the inner pockets of his cloak.

"We can buy him some finger painting stuff. You know him. He's just like Palette when he was younger." Geno remarked, offering his hand out to the God of Death.

"As always," he paused to rest his hand in his, his hold tightening as he brought his hand up to his teeth for a kiss, "you're right."

"Alright, asshole. I get you're trying to get laid tonight, but it's not working." Geno laughed, Reaper letting out a chuckle.

"I'm pretty sure it is." He pulled him close, their bodies flushed against one another. "You look like a wave of blood hit your face."

"Wow. Yup. That's it." Reaper started to laugh when he saw Geno trying to hold back some of his own. "That sentence right there had me wetter than that river. Good job, Reap. 10/10 flirt right there. Smooth like crunchy ass peanut butter." Geno chuckled when he saw his husband nearly reduced to silent laughter, rolling his eye as the other attempted to compose himself. 

"Seriously. Let's go."

"A-Alright." He heaved, tightening his grip on his hand as Geno braced himself for teleporting away from here. "I'm definitely getting laid though, right?"

Geno blushed lightly and snickered, "if that'll get you to shut up, then yes. Now let's just get going already."


	3. Request: Afterdeath: Human!Genderbent!SoulStringAU: I'm so damn blessed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by: @ CocaCola-master

Geno walked into the dimly lit auditorium, arriving twenty minutes earlier than needed due to her underestimation of how fast she could walk from one building to the other. She headed up the short steep steps and took her seat in the fourth row before the last. She brushed her white hair back into her hoodie, hiding it from the few other peers that showed up just as early, and relaxed into the red seats.

'Twenty minutes to kill.' She thought sourly, knowing that even with that long of a wait her professor would show up fifteen minutes late. "Might as well study for that calculus test.' She thought as she unzipped her backpack, rummaging through its contents to find the notebook she was looking for, and fished it out.

She propped up the tray the seat came with and rested her book on there, skimming through the various notes and equations that decorated her page until she came across a note that made the corners of her mouth perk up. It was a note her friend had left in her notebook, probably placed it in there while she was crashing at her loft. She peeled the white sticky note off her paper, reading over the message a few times before stuffing it into her pocket.

'Good luck on the test!' The message echoed in her mind as she continued to read over her notes.

She never really had a friend as close, nor anyone she managed to click with as well as she did with her. The sole reason they even became this close being because neither girl had the red string that connected them with their soulmates. Geno being too caught up in her studies to worry about why she didn't have one and Reaper busy with trying to get her life together to let it bother her. The last thing either needed was someone else to look after. Needless to say, her mind was no longer focused on the notes in front of her, preoccupied with running the memory of how they had met, and she succumbed to watching that replay instead.

It was nearing the end of the fall semester, the deadlines of finals and big projects right around the corner. She had left the last class she had, being given a definition essay due by the end of this week as the final exam for her English course. Geno stuffed her hands into her hoodie pockets and trudged through the snowy fields, loving the crunch sound that accompanied every footstep, and reached a cozy-looking cafe offered on campus. Geno went to reach for the handle when the door swung open, instinctively taking a step back and holding it open for the small group that was leaving. Geno earned their various thanks, simply nodding and sending a small smile to each one before she walked inside. Soft classical music played throughout the shop, her attention shifting from busy table to busy table as she walked ventured further into it. Of course, Geno being Geno, she managed to bump into someone and knock the tray out of their hand.

"Fuck," Geno muttered, pulling off her shades and reaching down for the tray, "I'm sorry. I didn't see-"

"It's alright." The other laughed, Geno's eyes flashing from the tray to her when she heard that. "At least the tray wasn't full." She humored, grabbing hold of the tray.

It was at that moment that Geno realized how warm the cafe was, a nice warmth branching from within her chest to her face and hands as she embarrassingly apologized again for bumping into her. She took this time to note her features. Her dark, almost black, hair was pulled back into a simple braid, and the strands that couldn't be confined in the hairstyle being tucked behind her ear on one side while they came loose on the other. She was a few inches taller than Geno was, making it easier for the smaller to hide her 'unique' eyes from her, and had fair skin, unlike the extremely pale skin she had. She felt a small tug in her mind, blowing it off as she reminded herself of the reason for this conversation to be taking place.

"I should've stepped out your way though. Sorry about that."

"It's all good. Don't worry about it." She blew off with a wave of her hand. "I know an empty window seat if that's what you're looking for."

"Actually, I was hoping for one away from the window." Geno clarified, not wanting to go into too much detail on why. She just wanted a seat, not annoy the waitress she just knocked into with a stupid anecdote.

"Follow me. I gotcha." She started to the lead the way, Geno following behind carefully to avoid knocking anyone else over.

She walked over a crowded table, confidently slamming her hand down on the center of it all and gestured them to the door.

"You guys have been here for hours and there are more patrons coming in than leaving." She was surprised to hear her talk them down like that.

She watched her usher them toward the front door, trying to figure out why this woman felt so familiar to her. Maybe she's in one of her lecture halls, she wasn't sure. There are a million people there already.

"Here you are, patron." Her train of thought came crashing when she heard her say that, nodding her head in thanks as she took her seat. "Anything else I can get ya?"

"Just a hot chocolate, if that's okay." She gave a soft chuckle at her request and nodded as she walked away.

Geno pulled out her laptop and began her work, knowing damn well that she'd forget at a moment's notice. Geno had initially started on her work, opening up a new tab to search something up, but found herself staring at a full page of memes by the end of it all. If that waitress didn't come by and laugh at her screen, she would've been lost in some kind of meme expedition.

"Sorry for the wait." She giggles, setting the cup near her pen. "Though it looks like you were well entertained." She gestured to her screen and Geno closed out that tab.

"It was all for research, I can assure you of that," Geno explained, earning another laughing fit from her.

"That must be one hell of a project." Geno let out a small laugh at that remark and watched her head turn back when she was called. "Gotta go. Duty calls." She waved and Geno returned the gesture.

Geno stayed there a few moments longer, writing down a few bullet points into her notebook while taking small sips of her desired drink, and began packing up when she found herself at the end of the cup and a page full of notes for her essay. Geno began packing everything up, putting her laptop to sleep mode before slipping into its case, and pulled out a five-dollar bill to pay for the cup of hot chocolate. Geno slipped her glasses on once again and headed out, the chiming of the bells annunciating her leave. She made her way to the loft apartment she was assigned to, placing her room card into its designated slot, and twisted the handle when she heard the soft beeping noise. Geno slid it out and walked inside, tossing her backpack onto the countertop as she put her card back into her pockets. She flipped the lights on in the kitchen, popping open the fridge to find leftovers from last night still present in its container, and heated that up. She took the few minutes she had to change into her pajamas, a high low styled black hoodie, and red fuzzy pajama pants, and headed back to make herself a cup of coffee in preparation for the all-nighter she was willing to pull to meet those deadlines. She returned to the small kitchen that merged with the living space and dining room and pulled out her plate of leftovers from the microwave after setting up the kettle of water in the coffee machine. Geno plopped down on the couch, taking small bites from the pasta, and thought back to the cafe she visited today. She normally doesn't go out to get anything since she usually has everything at her convenience in her loft, but she had no idea what about that shop was so intriguing that she had to stop by.

'It was just a simple coffee shop.' She thought as she skimmed through her phone. 'Nothing out of the ordinary,' her slouched figure sat up straight when a new thought hit her, 'the waitress. She was hella more interesting than the shop.' Geno reclined on the couch and let that thought continue its argument. 'She was nice, way too fuckin nice, to someone like me, and I don't know how to feel about it.' Her heart thrummed the longer she fed the thought, but her mind wasn't ready to follow her heart. 'Maybe I like- No! You promised yourself that you were gonna wait. I've trusted myself! I don't have a soulmate string so I have to be careful! The last thing I wanna be is a homewrecker, even if she does make me feel special. God damn it, Geno, get it together! You just met her, and not even properly I might add! You're not the helpless romantic you used to be! She's probably straight anyway! You are an independent woman!' 

Geno hated how her thoughts can change their position in a mental argument in a matter of seconds, but she couldn't stop herself from agreeing with both sides. The door handle jingling caught her attention and Geno stood up quickly to arm herself. Nobody's broken into anyone's loft, but she wasn't about to be anything less than prepared. Geno grabbed hold of the kitchen knife's handle and yanked it out of its holder, carefully making her way to the door. Her free hand slowly crept toward the possessed handle, grabbing hold of it and tossing the door open to find the waitress from the coffee shop standing outside.

"Oh fuck!" She screamed, her sudden gasp going unheard, and she clutched her chest as if she was trying to maintain control of her heart. "I'm gonna kill myself on accident one day." She heaved.

"You scared the living shit outta me!" Geno huffed, crossing her arms across her chest as she sent a half-assed glare at her.

She looked much different from earlier. The bags under her eyes were clearly visible now, her hair fraying as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"My bad. I'm just so fuckin' tired from my shifts and I think drinking too much coffee is getting to my head." She apologized, heading down the hall after sending a quick wave her way, and stopped at the door on the right side of her own.

'So that's why she looked familiar.'

"Hey wait!" She glanced over and Geno bit her lip nervously, her mind firing off a million responses per second on how wrong her heart was on this one. "You hungry? You look like you haven't had anything for millennia." Geno teased, hoping for her to agree.

"You sure? I just tried to break into your loft." She humored weakly, Geno blowing it off with a wave of her hand.

"Might as well help you succeed." She laughed.

"You sure you know what you're signing up for? When I eat, I definitely fuckin eat." The waitress laughed lightheartedly, Geno finding herself laughing along.

"I was cooking up something anyway. Might as well get to know the neighbors." She propped her foot up in front of the door in case she accepted her offer.

"I'll take you up on that then. If," She walked back over to Geno's side, Geno having to tilt her head back to actually look her in the eyes, "Woah! Your eyes!"

Geno's head shot downward and took a step back instinctively. 'You idiot! How'd you forget about that? She probably-'

"Wait no! They look so cool. I've never gotten a chance to actually study heterochromia up close. Only read about it in the books."

"You know about this kinda stuff?" The waitress nodded with a bright smile on her face.

"I am studying for optometry school, why wouldn't I know?" She extended her hand out to Geno. "I'm Reaper Renrik, hopefully, future optometrist."

Geno held her head high and grabbed hold of her hand, shaking it firmly with a genuine smile on her face. "Geno CQ, future bum if I play my cards right." Reaper laughed at that, their joined hands dropping as Geno opened the door wider.

"Damn~" She let out a low whistle as she looked over the place. "Your place is decorated way better than mine."

"I guess interior designer is a pretty good runner-up." Geno jokes, pulling out a small pot and pan from the cabinets. "I was just gonna make some Alfredo."

"And you were just gonna cook for yourself?" Geno shrugged as she set the water filled pot on the stove. "Whoever has your end of the string is one lucky person." Geno glanced down at her hand, a sad smile on her face when she saw nothing there. "Speaking of which, do they live with you or.." she glanced up from her hand and saw her guest staring at her, instant regret hitting Reaper as Geno hid her hands behind her back. "Sorry. I ask too many damn questions for my own good." She joked lightly, Geno shaking her head once she turned around to focus on the boiling water.

"It's... it's okay. We've only just met, so I understand being curious and asking-"

"Still. Those questions were kinda prying, especially since we just met." She clasped and unclasped her hands as she nervously apologized.

"It's whatever." Geno blew off with a wave of her hand while the other busied itself with the pasta. "I'm an open book." 

She opened up one of the drawers and pulled out two small packets of instant hot chocolate. "Want some hot chocolate while the food cooks?" Reaper gave a small nod and flipped around, her stomach pressed against the back of the couch as she propped her arms upon the fancy molding. "Mind if I ask you the same?"

"Thank fuck you said that." Geno was surprised to hear her say that, mixing the powder into the warm milk. "I mean, I would've told you anyway so I can get your insight on it. I'm literally an open book when it comes to shit like this because I don't have one and I have a few-"

"Wait," Geno mumbled, losing her grip on the spoon and listening to it clatter against the cup. It felt like her heart just stopped and all she was left to do was stare. "Y-You don't have one?" She shook her head and Geno focused on her empty fingers. "Neither do I."

"No way!" She hopped over the couch and stood in front of her, taking her non-dominant hand in hers. "You never had one?" A smile broke out onto Geno's face and she shook her head.

"It always made me stand out and some kids picked on me when they figured it out."

"Oh god, I can relate so fucking hard. I made the mistake of admitting it in first grade because I thought mine might be tangled up somewhere and delayed getting to me." Reaper admitted, grabbing hold of the other mug and taking a careful sip of her hot chocolate. "Guess we dealt with the same traumas as a kid." Geno shook her head, Reaper's eyebrow cocked with interest.

"Unless you're albino as well." Reaper's dark eyes went wide, Geno laughing as she pulled her hood down to reveal her white hair.

"Holy shit! That's incredible!" She set her cup down as raised her hands cautiously. "No wonder you didn't want the window seat. That sun probably kills you every day." She rambled as her eyes continued to follow the strands to her scalp. "You mind if I...?" She didn't have to finish her sentence since Geno nodded ahead of time and she immediately grabbed hold of a few strands. "This is literally the coolest thing I've ever seen. Has it ever gotten even a shade darker since birth?"

Geno shook her head, taking a sip of her drink as she felt Reper run her fingers through her hair. "It's stayed pretty constant over the years."

"Mind if I braid it back?" Another shake of her head let the other start her process, her skilled hands twisting and softly pulling the strands into place while Geno cooked up dinner for the two of them.

She was snapped out of her short trance when she heard the microphone malfunction, the sharp sound piercing her eardrums harshly. The professor did her best to fix it quickly, surprising Geno with her sudden success, and pulled up the notes for today on her projector, diving into the content as soon as her pen connected with her computer. Geno flipped to an empty page and began coping with what she wrote, barely paying attention as she worked ahead on the few example problems that were provided. Her attention drifted from the lesson to her phone when she saw a sudden light flash inside her backpack. She shot a quick glance at the professor and found her distracted, pulling out her phone to see who it was.

'Yo Genooooo' She rolled her eyes at Reaper's message and responded quickly to return her focus on the class.

'I'm in class, unlike you. Where are you anyway?' She set her phone to the side and began writing once again, only to pause a few seconds after to respond to her recent text.

'Look up, cutie.' Geno's pale face flushed at the random flirty nickname she used and did as told, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration when she saw her at the auditorium entrance with two milkshakes in hand. She ignored the nickname she used and sent a message back to her.

'You know how the prof is about tardies.' She messaged sternly, looking over at her to watch her shrug in response.

'Let me know when the coast is clear.' Geno rolled her head back in annoyance, paying attention to the class once again, and watched as the professor turned to use the whiteboard provided. Geno waved her over, Reaper walking as fast as she could to where her friend was seated and handed her the chocolate milkshake in her right hand.

"I hate you." Geno hissed, taking a small sip of the cold treat before going back to her notes.

"Sure you do, love." She laughed quietly, pulling out her own notebook to copy whatever she could. "Something cool happened today."

"And that would that be?" Geno asked distractedly, Reaper rested her head against her hand as she looked over at her best friend. "I'm kinda busy to look over right-" She felt her right hand be tugged, about to scold her for messing with her focus, but paused when she saw the red string linking her right hand with Reaper's left.

"I'm offended that you didn't notice, love~" She dropped her pen and lifted the string between them, making sure it was in fact real.

"How's this... I didn't think..." Her incoherent mumbles were silenced by a soft giggle, looking up to find her blushing lightly. 

"I didn't think it would come this late either, but I'm glad it's with you," Reaper spoke in a hushed tone as if her words were for Geno and Geno alone.

"Are you sure that it's-" She tugged on the material carefully, afraid that it could rip with the slightest force, and watched as Reaper's hand involuntarily jerks toward her. "Woah..."

"I'm pretty sure this is legit." She whispered, trying to keep their exciting discovery on the down-low to avoid disrupting the class. "I'll swing by your place at seven."

"Why seven?"

"For our first date. We're gonna hit the town tonight." She explained, a warmth flooding over Geno's face as Reaper held her string-tied hand in hers. "It's only right to show my thanks for how blessed I am~" She murmured, pressing a kiss to her hand and trailing them up to where the knot of the red string was tied to press one last lingering kiss against it.


	4. Afterdeath: Show me that you still care

Geno hummed as he waited in the save space, knowing Reaper was coming to get him for a day out of the endless dark void. It's been quite some time since he's seen any sort of actual daylight and he couldn't be any more excited than he was now. Geno's attention snapped when he heard the small pitter-patter of a child's feet run towards him.

"Hey, Frisk. Whatcha up to, kiddo?" He asked as he ruffled their hair, "Sans should be here in a bit to pick you up. I know Paps is pretty excited to spend some time with you again." 

"Do you have to go with him?" They asked, sitting beside him to rest their head in his lap.

"Unless you have plans, then no." They looked up to him and saw a smile on his face. "I don't have to. I want to."

"But he's the one that killed your friends-"

"Frisk, he didn't do that. That was Chara's doing. We both discussed this." He warned, getting up so that their head dropped to the cold ground.

"You like him, so that's why you don't blame him. Classic says the same thing. You don't see anymore." They continued, Geno's eyelight glowing a dangerous red and blue as they treaded close to the sensitive subject.

"You both don't know what you're talking about. He told me everything about his job. He doesn't kill anyone. He picks up their soul so they don't feel more pain." He defended, unaware of his blasters manifesting and aiming right at the human child that seemed adamant about their point.

"So he helps Chara kill them?" They got up onto their feet and stared at him with dead eyes.

"No. He's helped them suffer less dammit!" He shouted, feeling a lump form in his throat and his eye sting.

"He took your brother you brother, Sans."

That sentence hit a nerve, his blasters firing in all sorts of directions as he fell to his knees. He heard a scream and looked up in horror, red magic leaking from his sockets. He had hit Frisk. Even though the save screen exempted them from death, it still hurt and left quite the mark.

"I'm going to Classic." They said calmly, holding their injured arm near their stomach, "remember I tried to warn you."

"F-Frisk wait!" He raises his hand out, watching them vanish completely, the white-clad skeleton left to his own devices.

His hand dropped, more magic running down his face as his fingers curled into his socket. They were right after all. If he hadn't taken his soul, his brother would be here with him. If it weren't for him, all his friends would be in this endless void with him. It was all his fault that he was alone here. It was his fault he was suffering. In the midst of his breakdown, Reaper appeared worth the same smug smile he always has when he's around just Geno. That dropped when he saw him crying, his scythe vanishing once it was out of his grasp, and he ran over to him.

"Geno?" He mumbled, kneeling down beside him to see his socket empty and the glitch over his other socket frantically appearing and disappearing. "Geno?!" He said a bit louder, still no reaction. "Geno?! It's me! Reaper!" He says, a bit louder so that he can hear it over his thoughts.

"It's me! Reaper!" That sentence pierced through his head and he glanced up to meet his gaze. Instead of taking a quick look, he stared at the god with empty sockets. "Geno, you alright?" He asked, scooting a bit closer to him and resting his hand near his. "Just nod or shake your head. You don't have to talk, remember?"

He saw a gentle smile on the god's face, but his mind twisted it and interpreted it as a sinister grin that seemed to mock him. Geno clenched his teeth, his unoccupied hand balling up into a fist while the other gripped the edge of his socket harder. He stood up in silence and looked down at him.

"Get out." He forced those words through his teeth, Reaper leaning back slightly before he standing up as well.

"What?"

"I said-" He paused and fired a blaster at him, Reaper teleporting out of its line of fire. "GET OUT!"

"Geno, calm down." He advised, dodging yet another attack by him. "You're exhausted from the meltdown. You're going to pass out if you don't relax." He added, his advice going ignored as Geno continued to fire.

"Why should I listen to you?" He inquired, his attacks firing off faster and faster. "All you ever did was cause my suffering."

"What are-" He teleported away from the blasters and over to Geno, back to where he was standing before. "What are you talking about?"

"You killed them!" Geno shouted, swiping his hand up to summon bones beneath him. "You killed them all!"  
Reaper jumped, floating above them as he stared down at Geno in disbelief.

"I didn't kill anyone!"

"Again with the lies!" His eyelight returned, but it glowed a bright red before fading into a brighter shade of blue.

He summoned several blasters in a row, having them line up around Reaper, and fired them all at once. He saw him dodge by lowering himself from the firing range and brought the sharp bones down. Reaper glanced up, shutting his sockets when he saw them approach closer, and felt them bring him down. He landed on the ground with a thud, his body pinned effectively, and Geno glaring down at him with empty sockets.

"You killed my friends." He gave him a sharp kick to the side of his ribs, wincing slightly when he heard him groan."You killed my brother." Another kick, this time aimed at his pelvis. "And you made me suffer their loss." He rested his foot atop his sternum and leaned over to prop his arm on his own knee. "I can't believe how blind I was." He applied a bit more pressure and watched him struggle to breathe. "You were the cause of all this and I was so fucking blind to see it." He put more of his weight on his chest and grinned when he saw his face. "Feel the same pain I feel, Death." He hissed, removing his foot and the bones around him as straightened his back. "I fucking hate you." Geno turned and walked back to the small ray of light that shined in the void. "And don't you ever show your face to me again." He finished, plopping down to the ground and hiding his face in his hands.

"G-Geno." Reaper whimpered, "Y-You don't mean that." He struggled to get to his feet and regain his balance.

Geno snapped his neck when he faced him, "I meant it." He assured, "I. Fucking. Hate. You." He enunciated every word loud and clear, the swear much louder than the rest of the sentence. "Now get the hell out of here and leave me alone." 

Reaper opened his mouth to protest what Geno had said but stopped himself when he realized his efforts were futile.  
"Of all the people to say that to me, I never thought I'd hear it from you." He mumbled, bring his scythe to help hold him up.

"I don't wanna talk to murders anymore." Geno turned around, his back to Reaper, as he heard him teleport away.  
Geno buried his head in his hands as he mourned the loss of his friends and family. The fight he put up left him exhausted, resulting in him passing out with his tears still streaming down.

Reaper appeared in his universe, falling onto the lush field and killing the vegetation around him. He didn't feel the need to move anytime soon and stayed where he was wherever he was. He could pick up the sound of water rushing some distance away and the soft chirping of birds above him. He focused on those sounds, his sockets drooping shut tiredly as he tried to forget the fight they had. As guessed, it never really left his mind. He thought back to how the fight played out.

He had the power to fight back but didn't.

He was much stronger, but he was weak against a mortal like him.

He could've countered every one of his attacks with one of his own and easily beat him, but he couldn't.

'This feeling held me back.' He thought, resting his hand over his soul. 'What do mortals call this? I've heard that my whole life. I should be accustomed to this, but why does it hurt so much?'

He was being introduced to so many new emotions at once, and it overwhelmed him. He couldn't think anymore on the subject of their fight. He was trying more to figure out whatever this feeling hurting him from the inside was. Reaper opened his sockets, grunting as he tried to stand once again. He summoned his scythe, using it as a cane, and walked toward the sound of the rushing stream to heal his wounds. Being in his own universe had its perks. All the natural springs contained a healing property, making it easy for someone of his nature to fix whatever injury he got without informing any other god. He knew he had some investigating to do, some observations to be made with mortals dealing with these certain emotions, and figure out why he was getting them.

Geno stayed passed out for two days, waking up on the third in his old living room. He groaned as he propped himself on his elbows, hearing feet shuffle closer to him and a few thuds from upstairs.

"Heya Geno. You good?" Geno looked over to see Classic leaning against the frame of the kitchen arc with a ketchup bottle in hand.

"Other than this pounding headache, I'm alright." He grumbled, pressed his hand against his temple in hopes to lessen the pain. "What happened to me?"

"From what your Frisk told me, sounds like you overexerted your magic again." He answered, downing the ketchup in one swig. "Says you attacked them with a blaster."

"Dammit," Geno mumbled, balling his hand into a fist before having it hit his forehead a few times. "Where are they?"

"They've been staying with Paps since it happened. Not sure if he'll let you near them again." Sans made his way over to the couch and plopped down on the other side.

"God fucking damn it. I fucked up." Geno groaned, lying back down to take it all in.

"What triggered you to do that, pal?" Classic questioned, Geno, looking over at him.

"They were telling me Reaper was a murderer and said you agreed. I guess I'm good at holding my anger back." He admitted, pulling his scarf up to cover his mouth.

A silence settled between the two, the sound of the clock ticking echoing throughout the living room as both thoughts of what to say to address the issue at hand.

"Listen, Geno. I'll admit, I hate that guy. There's nothing about him that I like." He saw his eyelight disappear and leaned back when he watched him sit up. "But I'm not the one to judge who you like and who you don't."  
This put a deep red blush on his cheekbones and brought back his single eyelight back.

"I-I don't like him." He grumbled, crossing his arms as he tried to play it off.

Classic saw right through his bullshit and gave a smug smile, "Yeah right. Okay, Mr. tsundere." He snickered, Geno glaring at him.

"I-I am not! He's my friend! Just a friend!" He defended, only fueling his original's laugh.

"Alright alright. Don't work yourself up again." He snorted, Geno letting out a huff as he crossed his arms in annoyance. "Where even is he? Doesn't he visit you every day?"

"Shit!" He jumped off the couch, "He's probably confused on why I'm not in the save screen." He goes to teleport but turned to face Classic for a quick second. "Thanks for taking care of Frisk for me. Bye!" He teleported out of the house and back to his save screen.

That's where he saw the aftermath of his tantrum. Bones scattered everywhere and scorch marks from the blasters spotted the ground. He let out a sigh and observed his destruction. He saw a few bones still stabbed into the ground and kneeled down to study it.

"What the hell?" He dragged his finger over each of the holes and noted the strange formation. "Almost like..." His words trailed off when he realized what he was about to say. "Fuck. Reaper!" He quickly teleported out the save screen and into his universe. He wasn't sure where to look and how it was possible that he wasn't dead yet, but he was more worried about Reaper. He found himself in a forest-type area with wildlife everywhere he looked.

"Reaper!" He called out, his words echoing through the quiet forest. "Reaper! Are you there?!" He called again, the little bit of his soul that was left was beating faster than ever.

His eyelight scanned the area quickly and he found dead patches of grass leading away from the forest. He followed them, running over them like a million thoughts processed through his head.

'What if he's hurt? What if I actually hurt him? Can you even kill a god? God, I'm never gonna forgive myself. He's literally the only friend I have and I pushed him away too. Fucking hell! Why am I messed up like-' his thoughts stopped when he saw the trail came to a halt in front of a stream.

"Reaper?" He called out one last time before assuming the worst. "Reaper? Are you there?"

"Yes?"

The response came from behind him, Geno letting out a scream and summoning his blasters quickly. His body turned around in an instant and he immediately regretted it, seeing it was Reaper. He seemed completely unphased by his behavior.

"Don't scare me like that, you ass." Geno laughed nervously, making his choice of defense disappear before holding his hand out for a quick shake.

Reaper glanced down at that hand then back at the owner before taking a step back. Geno cocked his head to the side and squinted his socket.

"What? I can't die, remember?" He reassured, stretching his hand out farther to get him to shake it.

"I thought you didn't want to associate with murders?" Reaper asked, Geno's arm dropping back to his side.

"Reaper, what the hell? We talked about this. You don't kill them." He reminded, taking a step closer only to have him retract a step. "Reaper?"

"I do not wish to trigger another episode for you. The last one was quite painful. On both our parts." He stated calmly. "I'd like to apologize as well."

"Reaper? What are you talking about? I'm the one that kicked your ass in. I should-" Reaper raised his hand and Geno fell silent.

"I apologize that I had overstayed my welcome with you. I believed we were something more than friends, what with the way you behaved and the feelings you gave me, but mortals also have taught me the meaning of the new emotion that I am feeling right now."

"Reaper." Geno gripped his scarf tightly, a red hue splattered over his face when he heard the confession. "I do-"

"I felt betrayal, Geno." Geno looked up from his scarf with wide sockets. "Funny to think that the God of Death would feel betrayed, but that day was to come. I was hurt when you said that, and, even though I heard it all my life, I was more hurt than you had said it because you had said that you understood my perspective on my job. I suppose that was all an excuse since I was the only one to visit you in the empty void you call home."

"Reaper, I didn't mean that. I was in a-"

"Yes. Another episode. I do recall you telling me about them and how it warps the reality you see, but you did acknowledge that I was there, even hit me more than a few times. You even requested that I feel the same pain that you had felt when your family was taken away from you." He shifted his arms to hold them behind his back. "I have felt that pain before. My brother had been killed by the God of Sky when he started caring about me. They thought I would've grown soft to his ways and quit reaping if he continued to stay." He shared, his empty sockets becoming half-lidded as he looked down. "Long story short, Geno, I'm sorry but you no longer have to worry about me showing-" He didn't finish his thought when Geno hugged him tightly. "What are you-"

"Shut up and let me talk." Reaper fell silent as he attempted to return the foreign gesture. "I'm sorry I said those things. Earlier, a friend kept telling me again and again that it was you. That's why-"

"That's what triggered your episode?"

"Yeah." A few moments of silence passed before Geno tightened his hold on the god to bury his face into his robe. "I'm sorry I said those things to you. I know this means nothing compared to the pain and frustration I must've put you through, but I really am sorry. You don't have to visit me any more and we don't have to be friends." Geno pulled away from the gesture to look reaper in the sockets, seeing his normal eyelights return, and let out a heavy sigh. "To be completely honest, I don't deserve a friend like you, let alone a love-" His words were cut off when he brought him back into the embrace. "Reaper?"

"I accept the apology, but not the nonsense you added with it. You have been through so much, not even I could comprehend how you lived through it all. An individual like you deserves as many caring friends as you can get." Reaper took a deep breath before pulling himself away from Geno. "And I couldn't be any luckier than to have someone like you to claim as my lover."

Geno's face flushed when he said that, burying his face into the taller's shoulders to hide his now tomato red face.  
"You forgive me? Just like that?" Geno choked out, Reaper nodding as he buried his head into the crook of the smaller's neck.

"Why wouldn't I? You're the only true friend I have. If I didn't forgive you now, I would've done so later." He explained, Geno's grip on Reaper tightening as he buried himself deeper into his cloak. "Besides, I've seen how mortals handle this situation in stranger ways, either ends in ignoring them for the rest of their lives or suicide. This way was much more preferable." Reaper listened to his muffled laughter and sighed in relief, happy to hear his lover no longer upset. 

"Isn't a God-loving a mortal kinda forbidden though?" Geno's muffled voice rose, Reaper letting out a soft chuckle before stepping away to see Geno's expression.

"Though it may be," He cupped his chin carefully and tilted his head back slightly, "but, if it's for you, I wouldn't mind challenging the idea~" He purred, pulling Geno into a gentle first kiss.


	5. Afterdeath: Swapped Personalities: Jealousy is Rewarding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another AfterDeath one. I'm just stuck on that ship I saw a comic of this on Tumblr and thought it was super cute. I think it was posted by tomyinthespace, but I can't seem to find it again.

"Wow! This place looks cool!" Geno gushed as his eyes wandered from booth to booth.

"It's a bit busier than usual. Guess that's Greece for ya." Death commented, walking over to the booth that sold the same robes he wore now.

"So this is where you get your fancy robes?" Geno asked, Death nodding as he fished out a stack of euros from his pocket.

"Yeah. Can't just wear what I reap in all the time." He joked, hearing him snicker lightly. He dug into his pockets and pulled out a small stack of cash. "Here ya go. You can buy something for yourself too." He handed him half the stack and Geno ran off after pressing a kiss to his boyfriend's cheekbone.

Death couldn't help but smile at the small gesture and continued his shopping. Meanwhile, Geno bounced from stand to stand, amazed by all the fascinating garments, fruits, and foods they were selling. He glanced over at Death, seeing him standing nearby the booth that was selling robes similar to what he wore, and that sprouted an idea in his mind. He pulled out the rupees he was given and paid for a platter of food. If he couldn't buy him the clothes, he might as well buy him something to eat.

"Thank you!" He waved off and turned to find a group of women ogling his lover.

Geno felt a hot pain jolt down his spine and spread throughout his body. If they were somewhat less attractive, he wouldn't have minded. But that wasn't the case. These women were attractive and wore flashy revealing clothes, possibly giving every man in the market a hard-on with just their flirtatious winks.

'How dare they look at him that way?!' He thought sourly, marching over to him.  
Death's hands fumbled across each hanger, skimming through to see which black robe looked best, and felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind. He glanced down to see Geno's pearly hands come rest in front of his stomach, and snickered. He knew he was affectionate, especially in public as if he were something to brag about, and let it slide as he continued to search.

"You bitch-" Death's single eye light widened when he heard him mutter that, "You cows! Stop looking at him! I've already stolen him!" Geno shouted, the women turning their attention away.

Death glanced out the corner of his socket, seeing them still stealing glances, and felt his embrace tighten. Geno wasn't going to let go until they knew he wasn't messing around. He smiled softly, turning around gently enough to keep the gesture. 

"Stolen, huh?" He murmured, feeling his soul thrum when he saw him pout as angrily as he could muster.

"Y-Yeah! Got a problem?" He inquired, Death breaking away from his weakened hold.

He bent down, becoming level with him as he twined his hand with his. His smile shifted into a smirk when he noted the red blush donned on his cheekbones and his eyelight contain a few small hearts. He felt his own blush creep up to rest on his face and pulled him closer.

"I'm confused on who stole who~" he purred, Geno's soul thrumming a mile a second.  
Death's mouth neared his, his teeth softly grazing over his lover's before he heard a soft whine in protest.

"D-Don't. There are people watching." He stated weakly, feeling Death's arms wrap around him to pull him impossibly closer.

"Aw~ Don't you want to prove I'm yours?~" he murmured lowly, his expression telling him literally everything his voice was doing to him.

He watched Geno quiver in his hands, worrying that maybe he went a bit too far, and smiled softly when he fell forward into his grasp. Death chuckled, straightening his back as he lifted him up.

"Alright. Don't cry~ We can head home once I pay for-" Geno pulled away and, holding onto his face gently, pushed himself into a kiss.

Death chuckled and returned the loving gesture. It was a brief kiss, but no doubt Geno's favorite. Once they parted, the women staring at him turned away with either shocked or disappointed expressions. To Geno, he took it as both and considered it a win for him. Death held Geno in his grasp and paid for his robes before walking away. Geno turned back to see the same woman looking back and he stuck his tongue out tauntingly. 

"I'm guessing you won." Death laughed, Geno's head snapped back to reveal a light blush on his cheekbones.

"You better believe it." He joshed, Death laughing as he teleported them back home. "No one's going to steal you away from me."

"I wouldn't want to be stolen anyway~" he purred, Geno smiling shyly. "I love you too much to leave."

"That's good." He hummed as Death softly peppered him in kisses, "I love you too."


	6. Afterdeath: Cop AU: You gotta be kiddin' me

"Slow night, huh Geno?" Blue asked, the walkie-talkies in the back relaying information on other cases.

"Yeah. It's unnerving, to say the least." Geno laughed, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel impatiently while the other hand fidgeted with the eyepatch resting over his right eye socket.

"Does it still hurt?" Blue asked when he caught him messing with it.

"Not like it used to." Geno chuckled weakly. "I'm getting used to seeing out one socket, so I guess that's a plus."

"That's good to hear," Blue said, Geno letting out a heavy sigh.

"Anyway, this your last night shift?" Blue nodded.

"Yeah. I'm gonna be sticking to daytime shifts so I could be home with my kid." Blue sighed with bliss, imagining family dinners and movie nights. "I just want a few more hours of this quiet night and then-" Geno's partner was cut off by his walkie-talkie calling out to them.

"CQ, we got flagged down on Cooper street and 8th."

"10-4, CQ. What's the situation?" He spoke briefly, Blue reloading his handgun just in case.

"Holo, 10-62A. I'm standing down with another victim, reporting that his phone's been taken."

"Another?" Blue repeated incredulously, Geno taking a quick glance at Blue's determined expression.

"Yeah. There's been 3, including this one." Hill answered, earning a huff from Blue.

"Damn. 3 robberies already." Geno muttered, Blue packing up his flashlight. Geno pressed held the button on the side down, "CQ, copy that. Did they show a gun in these robberies?"

"Can't believe he managed to take that much stuff in such a small amount of time," Blue mumbled, Geno waiting patiently for a reply.

"I think he's pointing a gun in their face to get it that quick," Geno answered, his walkie-talkie coming to life.

"Copy, the subject is going to be 10-0." Dispatch informed, Geno groaning.

"Damn. He is armed." Blue worried, Geno looking over at him in concern. "This guy is reckless. He just robbed 3 people at gunpoint in under 5 minutes."

Geno rested his free hand on Blue's shoulder, sending a smile his way. "Hey. It's gonna be alright. He's not gonna shoot at us. Just be careful, a'ight?" He said to him reassuringly, hoping his friend would calm down.

He took a deep breath, nodding with a confident smile, "Of course. Sorry, I'm not like my old selfless self." He apologized jokingly, Geno shaking his head.

"Don't worry about it. I get that having a kid and this job is stressful, so it's-" Their talk was cut short by Blue's walkie-talkie.

"PJ calling in. The suspect just ran from me."

"Fuckin' damn," Geno grunted, swerving into another lane while Blue flicked on the lights.

"He was going westbound behind Moody Hill's Diner on 10th," PJ added before the pair were met with static.

"Fuuuuck." Geno groaned, Blue snickering as he heard him mutter a few curses under his breath.

"Guess we're in for a blast."

"We got a skeletal monster, looked about in his 23 to 24 years old." PJ described, Geno gripping the steering wheel tight with both hands as he made a sharp U-turn at the intersection.

"Cut the light for me." He directed, the lights no longer flashing and he reduced his speed.

"He's about 5'9, sweaty, black hoodie and pants, shoes white."

"10-76, CQ en route to 10th," Blue informed the others.

Geno pulled up into the restaurant parking lot, finding a few other food chains nearby. He parked the car, shutting off and tossing the keys to Blue. Geno grabbed his flashlight and pistol, placing just the handgun in its holster.

"You go left and I'll head right. Meet me at the back of the restaurant." Blue suggested, Geno nodding and heading off when both flashlights were lit.

Geno was careful with his steps, trying his hardest to have his location remain unknown to the criminal. Sad to say, he wasn't there and ended up meeting up with Blue empty-handed.

"Shit. They did say this diner, right?" Geno looked surprised when he heard his partner swear so calmly.

"I'm sure they did. There's no other restaurant with such a wild ass name." He reminded, Blue letting out a soft chuckle at his comment.

The two walked to the front, flashlights still shining. They stilled when another police car rolled up into the parking lot. Blue cocked his head to the side, the window rolling down to reveal his brothers, Ink, and Dream.

"You guys find him?" Dream inquired, Blue shaking his head.

"No. We just came from here and didn't see him. Any luck on your end?"

"Wouldn't be here if there was." Ink joked, everyone's walkie-talkie going off with the same message.

"Somebody shoot east just in case backtracked," PJ suggested, a look of pride washing over Ink's face.

"10-4. Ink and Dream on it." He radioed in.

"Your kid's doing pretty good for a deputy," Blue commented, Ink nodding.

"We should grab coffee after we find the criminal." Ink gave a two-finger salute to them both before driving off, leaving Geno and Blue to continue to search in the restaurant chains.

"You head left, I'll get right. Cover more ground that way." Geno suggested, both taking off quickly.

"Holla if you need me," Blue shouted as he ran the other way, Geno making a note of that subtle change in his accent.

"You really do take after Fell, dude." Geno teased, not turning around once since he already knew how blue-faced he must've gotten.

"10-23 CQ and Blueberry for 211 by foot." He informed.

"10-4. Copy that."

Geno shined the flashlight down the narrow alley between the two restaurants, skimming over every object he came across unless it appeared relatively close to a hunched figure. He made his way down the alley, looking behind the towering trash every time he passed one, and reached the end. He shined it behind the diner once more to see if the suspect backtracked, turning right when he saw nothing. He noticed the two dumpster containment units built side by side, about to dismiss it until he saw one of the doors left a crack open. Geno's soul thrummed with fear and excitement as he took quiet steps toward the open door. He shined his light through the crack, making sure that he wasn't there waiting, and pulled his gun out of the holster.

'Stay on top of things, Geno.' He thought to himself, taking a shallow breath.

He held the flashlight above the gun, kicking the door open with his foot, and scanned the area quickly. Nothing to be found. He took a step in, the stench of garbage hitting him immediately. He exhaled slowly, trying his hardest not to take any more of it in, and checked inside the dumpster. He was met with a disappointing nothing yet again, but he didn't stop there. He took a step back getting a breath of fresh air and walked in to check around back. He barely had to take a step forward to see movement behind the dumpster.

"Over here! Let me see your hands!" Geno shouted, grabbing his partner's attention. "10-20, CQ. I'm at Puree Gardens, got him down at gunpoint." Geno radioed, hearing his partner's running footsteps get closer. "Get on the ground!" Geno screamed, pointing his gun at him and nudging him with his foot so he'd comply. "Hands behind your back!" He demanded, the suspect doing as he was told. "Don't reach for anything." He started to read out the criminal's Miranda Rights.

The suspect's head turned, looking directly at the officer, and his eyelights widened. "I don't have anything."  
Geno took a step back, staring at his own red-blue eyelight. He brought his trembling hand that held the flashlight to his eye patch.

"Y-You h-have my-"

"Geno! You okay!?" Geno snapped out of it when he heard his partner's voice.

"Yeah. I'm fine..." His voice trailed off before he cleared his throat.

He slipped the handcuffs out of his back pocket and locked his hands up, helping him to his feet while still holding his hands behind his back.

"Blue, bring the car around to the back of Puree Gardens." He radioed, hearing a response immediately.

"10-4, copy that."

"I don't have anything." The suspect repeated, his gaze never leaving Geno's.

"Alright. I understand." Geno said as he nodded, watching the car pull up to the parking lot. He pushed the criminal in question against the hood of the vehicle.

"Spread your feet," Geno instructed, surprised by how easily he listened to him.

Geno ran his hands down from his shoulders to his arms, patting occasionally to see if the weapon was hidden in his upper body. He continued downward, the suspect's piercing gaze never leaving his.

"Missing the gun," Geno concluded, reaching into the hoodie pocket to find three phones and a stack of cash. "He's got three cell phones and some good cash." He placed those atop his car.

"Probably dropped it somewhere," Blue suggested, another police car pulling into the parking lot.

"He was behind the blue dumpster if you wanna search that area," Blue instructed as he filled out the report, Ink hopping out his car to search for the weapon. "Huh. Name's Reaper. Scratched out his last pretty good though." Blue mumbled to himself as he typed that up.

The radio went off a few times, Dream reporting that Geno had caught the armed robber while walking back to his car. Blue tossed open the door on the passenger side of their vehicle, sliding the laptop in and locking it in place.

"Found it back here!" Ink announced, tossing it into a bag along with the stolen items.

"Bet. Gun and magazine behind the dumpster. We'll take him and the stuff to the station." Blue offered, Ink handing him the bag.

"That isn't mine. I really don't have anything." Reaper grumbled, Geno glancing over at him.

He was more worried about why this guy, out of all the guys out there, had his eyelight, though he didn't let it show that it bothered him.

"Lemme give you some advice," Geno started as he shoved him along to the backseat, "Lying to an officer can get you charged more than you already are. So I suggest you keep your mouth shut." He advised, hearing him scoff in response.

"Man, fuck you and just listen to me." He spat, Geno rolling his eyelight.

"Like I said, it'll be held against you in the court of law. Have a seat." He opened the door and put him inside, shutting the door just as quickly.

"CQ, we have the suspect detained and we're on our way back." He reported, sliding into the driver's seat.

"10-4 copy that." The engine roared when put into drive, and they pulled out of the parking lot.

The drive back was silent, Blue typing away at the computer while Geno drove to the station.

'He had a loaded gun. He could've killed me when he saw me searching.' He thought, taking a quick look into the rearview mirror to find him staring right back at him, 'but he didn't. Why didn't he?' He drummed his fingers against the leather steering wheel as he thought, Blue picking up on his nervous antics.

"Somethin' eating you up?" He asked distractedly, Geno blinking a few times to snap out of his thought-filled daze.

"Nah. Just hoping the night goes quiet again." He answered, pulling up to the station. "Well. Guess we'll be seeing you for a year." Geno joked, getting out of the car and circling around to where he was seated.

He opened the door, grabbing hold of the handcuff chain, and followed behind him as he directed him toward the police station. He walked past the front desk, Blue stopping there to drop off the papers he filled out and led him to the temporary prisons.

"Some cops are gonna ask you some questions to see if you're out of it or not." He informed, unlocking one of the cell doors. "In the meantime, you'll be chillin' here."

"What's your name?" He asked, Geno taken back by his random question.

"Geno. Geno CQ." He answered, "And what's your last name?"

"Renrik." He didn't take that answer to heart, recalling the criminals in the past that lied straight to his face.

"Thanks for the info." Geno stated simply, walking out to the front of the station.

"Hey bro, you pull up his original licenses?" Geno asked, keeping his last name in the back of his head.

"Yeah. Reaper Renrik, he's 24. Craziest thing is that he's actually 6'2." He informed, Geno crossing his arms in frustration. "Something bothering you?" He asked, Blue snickering.

"I asked him the same thing on the way back."

Geno laughed, shaking his head jokingly, "I'm fine. You guys really are paranoid. I'm heading out to patrol the streets. Blue, you comin' with?" He asked, Blue following him out.

"You ask like I have a choice." He laughed, earning a chuckle from him as he climbed into the driver's seat. "I'm guessing this is gonna be about the prisoner having your eyelight, huh?"

"Unless you're fuckin' psychic, how did you know?"

"You're honestly not that hard to read, Gen." Blue laughed, "That or we've been partners for too damn long that I can read your thoughts now."

"It's fucking me up. I didn't think my soulmate would be a criminal." He admitted.

"How do you think I felt?" Blue shrugged, Geno cocking his head to the side when he heard him say that. "I'm being serious. Dust was a criminal back when I found him. Oddly enough, he stole a bunch of useless shit too and, when he was released, he came to me and we started dating when he explained himself to me." He explained, resting his head against his window as he stared outside. "Really, it's up to you and how you feel about this stuff. I know you're not much of a romantic and-"

"We haven't been partners long enough if you thought that." Geno mumbled, Blue's head whipping back when he heard that.

"Are you serious?!" Geno said nothing, but the faint glow of his cheekbones said everything. "You, Geno CQ, the toughest guy in our quadrant who would beat up anyone that looked him wrong-" Geno cut him off with a simple look.

"Okay. You're milking it. I'm not-" His comment went ignore as Blue proceeded to finish his sentence.

"-have a romantic side that I didn't know about?!"

"Shout it to the damn world, why don't you." He grumbled, coming to a stop at another red light.

"You have to go back to him then!" Blue concluded, stars consuming his eyelights as he talked faster. "If you're considering being with him, you should be there when he gets bailed out! That way you can talk to him about all this and get together!"

"How are you so damn sure he's getting bailed out?" Geno questioned, pulling into the farthest left lane to make a u-turn once the light turns green.

"Because this sounds exactly like what Fell did for me! Trust me on this! We're gonna go back and he's gonna he sitting outside his cell with a friend that bailed him." Geno rolled his eyelight as he heard his partner talk about how it'll go down once they get back to the station.

The light turned green and he made a sharp turn as he headed back to the station, Blue beaming as he watched Geno drive right back. He could care less about what the speed limit was on this road, knowing fully well the lecture he'll get for speeding in a police vehicle in the absence of an emergency, and arrived at the station in less than twenty minutes. He jumped out the car, Blue trying to keep up as he shut off the car and grabbed the keys, and ran inside to find a goat lady sitting beside Reaper with a clipboard in hand as she filled out some papers.

"Back already, Gen-" he cut off his brother's sarcastic remark with a question of his own.

"What's going on here?"

"Mister Renrik here is getting bailed out. When his height and description didn't match up, we ran a few tests. Turns out the gun wasn't registered in his name, so Sci had run a quick test to see if the magic matched up and found that the prints left behind didn't match up with his. Two of the phones were his own. So his charges have been dropped down to stealing one phone." Error informed, showing the proof they had collected while he was gone.

"That doesn't explain why he matched the description of the thief." Geno rambled as he skimmed through the papers.

"Yeah. It kinda does." Error gestures to the containment units they had and Geno's eyelight widened when he saw another criminal with a similar attire as Reaper's. "Plus, he's 6'2". Not 5'9"."

"So why did we catch him behind the dumpster? Why was he running if he did nothing wrong?" Geno couldn't figure out how this all made sense to everyone but him.

"I actually don't-"

"I told you I had nothing," Geno's head snapped to the left to see Reaper standing there with his cuffed hands raised between them, "and you didn't believe me. So when you hear cops not listening to you and chasing you down, you just gonna stand there?"

Geno took a step back, hesitant to answer, and pulled out the keys from his belt. He couldn't find it in him to look away from the eyelight that he lost, looking almost entranced if he hadn't kept a stern face. He gripped his wrist tightly, not once breaking eye contact with him as he freed him from his confinement.

"That's what I thought." He mumbled, following his friend out the automatic doors of the station.

"Wow." Geno's attention was now on Blue as he watched them walk out together. "Can't believe we caught the wrong guy. This isn't what I thought would happen." That thought sunk into the shocked officer's cluttered mind, no longer listening to anyone but his own internal voice.

"Hopefully, he doesn't sue us." Error begged quietly. "Right, Geno?" Geno said nothing. "Gen- Hey!" Geno ignored him calling out to him and started running, out the station and into the streets to chase down the pair that just left.  
He got to the sidewalk and glanced left and right, finding them at the end of the street preparing to cross over.

"Wait!" He shouted, gaining both people's attention, and ran faster.

His pace slowed down when he was a few feet away from the two, soft pants leaving the cop as he tried to regain his posture.

"I'm sorry, Reaper," He started, "I misjudged you and didn't believe you when you were clearly telling the truth."  
Reaper and his lady friend exchanged glances with one another, his friend sending a smile his way before excusing herself and heading off.

"It's okay. I did make myself look suspicious as fuck." He chuckled nervously, his hand finding its way to the back of his neck.

An uncomfortable silence dragged on between the two, both having so much to say but no courage to bring it up. It was finally broken by Reaper, Geno's attention shifting from the ground beneath him to him in an instant.

"A-Are we j-just gonna ignore..." Reaper's voice trailed off as he gave up and point to the socket that held the red-blue eyelight before pointing over to Geno's solid white one.

"I- That's why I chased you down, actually." Geno cleared his throat to avoid sounding any more unsure about his next few steps. "The eyelight you have," he stepped forward and cradled the side of his face that held his colorful eyelight, "this one. I lost that when I was trying to restrain a withdrawn criminal." With his free hand, he slipped his fingers under the band of the eyepatch and hesitated.

'I'm already going to freak him out.' He thought as he pulled it off, revealing the injured socket with cracks branching down around it.

"He landed a pretty bad blow on me." He snickered nervously. "If they hadn't found the remaining pieces, I wouldn't have this side of my skull."

Geno watched as his hand made its way to the injured socket, wincing slightly when he came a little too close and watched his hand twitch back slightly.

"Does it still hurt?"

"Nah. It's still healing though, so it's kinda sensitive." Reaper nodded and settled on resting his hand over the cheekbone that held his own eyelight.

"I didn't think my soulmate would be such an important badass." He teased, his thumb brushing against his cheekbone slowly as he gave him a loving smile.

"Didn't think mine would be a criminal." The officer's retort following shortly after when he saw his eyelights liven up.

"Oh come on I didn't steal anything!" Geno raised a bone brow and crossed his arms over his chest jokingly as he stared him down.

Reaper succumbed to his serious look and raised both his hands up in response, "okay fine. Maybe two things. But that's all!" He admitted.

"Two? I thought your phone and gun theft crime was dropped?" Geno couldn't deny the sad feeling of him having to put him in handcuffs once again. He had just started growing used to his teasing ways.

"Yeah, they were." He confirmed, Geno now cocking his head to the side.

"Then you really fucking suck at math." Geno went to shove him lightly, laughing as he did so, only Reaper had other plans.

His hand grabbed hold of his arm and tugged him closer, the fingers on his free hand slowly tracing the outline of his face as a playful smirk played on his face.

"The phone was one," he reminded, Geno's poor soul rushing when he saw him lean down to be right up close to his face, "and your soul was the second~" he whispered, his voice almost resembling a husky purr as he pulled him in for a brief kiss.

Geno was surprised at the sudden contact, a little disappointed at how short it was, but let it slide with a small smile.  
"You could've bought me dinner before stealing something so valuable." Reaper let out a laugh, letting his hand fall, and extended his elbow to him.

"What if treat you right now?"

"Can't. Not off work yet." He laughed at his response. "You could tomorrow night though. Well, tonight considering it's late as hell." Reaper chuckled and agreed to his offer.

"I'll count the hours then, love." He pressed a kiss against his cheekbone before giving a two-finger salute.  
Geno could only laugh as he shook his head, motioning him to come back, which he did without any hesitation.

"Missing me already?~"

"Pfft. You wish. I was gonna ask how are you going to call me if you didn't even get my number." Reaper paled at that, which arose more laughter from the cop as he pulled out his phone. "For someone who flirts like it's his profession, you suck at getting your facts. Here. Put your number in and I'll call you after my shift."

Reaper tapped at the screen a few times before handing it back, "I'll be waiting for a chance to hear your voice again."  
"It'll be in a few hours, so you'll hear it if you're up."

"I guess another all-nighter wouldn't hurt me." Reaper chuckled lightly, Geno rolling his eyelight teasingly. "Alright then. I guess I'll see you when I see you." Reaper chimed as he pressed the crosswalk button.

"How about I drop you off at home?" Reaper gave a sly smile as he cocked a bone brow.

"Trying to take me home already? What happened to dinner?"

"You fuckin' wish." Geno chuckled, Reaper joining in shortly after. "I was offering, just in case the other officers didn't get the memo and arrest you again."

"Depends on what you're taking me in. I have standards, you know." Geno laughed at his sarcastic remark and gestured him to follow.

"You did say I was an important badass." He shrugged as he walked back into the sheriff's office, grabbing the keys of his brother's desk. "Gotta maintain that status."

Out the corner of his socket, he saw Blue give him a sly smile and a thumbs up, earning a roll of his eyelight and a quick flash of his middle finger before leaving the station.

"Don't think I didn't see that." Reaper teased, following him out to the motorcycle lot.

"Say a word and I might just throw you in jail again." Geno playfully snapped back, starting up the bike and getting on with ease. "Now come on. The sooner I drop you off-"

"The sooner I'll see you again for our date." Reaper finished as he hopped on and grabbed hold of the officer's waist.

"Yeah sure, bud. Whatever you-" his words stopped when he felt him rest his head on his shoulders, glancing over to see a smirk playing on his face as he held him closer. "You bitch."

"Love you too~" Both their faces flushed at the sudden confession, Geno glowing a bit bright than the other.

"Let's get you home, you flirt." Geno joshed as he pulled out of the parking lot.

Turns out, Reaper didn't live too far from where he did, making it easier for him to take up his offer on dropping by whenever he wished. Even after dropping Reaper off, the warm feeling fluttered within his soul as he recalled his words from earlier.

"Love you too, asshole." He mumbled with a smile on his face.

He couldn't wait for their date.


	7. Afterdeath: Underfell: Sick days

Death trudged through the snowy ground, a scowl on his face as he wiped away the excess magic that managed to escape from his nasal cavity. He was sent home from his reaping duties due to his illness, even after persisting that he was fine and it wasn't anything to fret over. Normally, he would be able to cover it up and work through it, but his act wasn't believable this time around. He approached the front steps of his home and groaned with every step he took. He'd rather be anywhere, but here whenever he was sick. He didn't want to be seen in such a weak state, especially in front of his lover. He had an image of authority and dominance established in their relationship and he wasn't ready to back down from it. The tired God of Death opened the door, only to slam it shut behind him in frustration.

"Don't fuck up the door, headass." He heard his lover grumble from the kitchen, Death rolling his nonexistent eyelight in annoyance.

"What fucking ever." He mumbled under his breath before tossing himself onto the couch.

"You look like shit. The hell happened to you and why the fuck are you not at work?"

"You ask too many questions, you know that?" He spat, "Just go do something useful for once and leave me alone."

Saying that got him to leave easily, Death sighing with relief as he wiped away the magic he held back. He was not going to submit to being sick and weak. He heard a few dishes clattering in the kitchen, each noise echoing louder in his head and managing to get on every single one of his nerves. Then it fell silent. Death let out an aggravated huff when he listened to the quiet atmosphere settle. With every passing second, he grew more tired than he already was. He was close to passing out, his sockets fluttering shut, only to dart open when he felt a blanket being laid on top of him.

"What the fu-"

"Shut up. I know you're sick, dumbass." Geno growled, layering it a few times to warm him up. "Eat." He demanded weakly, Death's scowl present on his face now.

"I didn't ask to be taken care of." He growled, pushing away the blankets.

Geno rolled his eyelight in annoyance, shoving the blankets back down onto him, "Too fucking bad. Shouldn't have married me if you didn't want that." He retorted, the spoonful of soup still in front of the God of Death's face. "Now eat." Death rolled his eyelight in annoyance, shrinking away from the spoon as if it were laced with bleach. "Death, I swear to all the fucking stars in the sky if you don't eat, I'm going to stab you." He grumbled, raising the spoon once again.

"N-No-" His dry throat couldn't handle the strain of yelling and his coughing fit interrupted him.

"Just eat, Death. It'll make you feel better." He assured, Death still coughing. "You need any water?" He asked gently, raising the water bottle in his direction.

Death sat up, or at least tried to. The weight of all the blankets made it difficult for him to move, so Geno helped him, not saying anything in hopes of Death finally accepting his assistance

"I-I'm not weak." Death grumbled, Geno looking over at him.

"I know you're not. You're the strongest monster I know." He assured, raising the spoon to his mouth.

Death looked at the spoon before glancing over at Geno, reluctantly opening his mouth so that the spoonful could go down his throat.

"See? Was that so bad?" He asked, raising another spoonful. "Bet it helped with the sore throat a little, huh?"  
Death nodded softly, taking the next bite in without hesitation. "After you finish this, I'll get you the medicine in the cabinets." Geno mumbled, helping his husband eat his food.

"Why are you like this?" Death asked, taking in another bite.

Geno knew what he meant by asking that, yet he played it off. He didn't answer his question, only raising the next spoonful to his mouth.

"I asked a question, Gen."

"And I'm not gonna answer until you finish your soup." He scorned, raising the spoon up once again.

"You swear you're going to answer the question after I finish?" Death's raspy voice couldn't rise any higher than a whisper.

Geno said nothing but nodded, Death stealing the bowl from his hands and chugging it all down as fast as he could. Geno bit his tongue to avoid laughing at his behavior, and almost lost it when he slammed the empty bowl down in triumph.

"Now answer the question." He demanded, a coughing fit following shortly after.

Instead of answering, he decided to mess with him. "And that question was?"

"Why are you like this?" He reiterated, and, knowing that he was going to get some sarcastic question back, he clarified. "Why do you care so much no matter how fucking rude I am?" His soul was pounding like crazy, his face flushed in frustration the longer he thought about how it didn't make any sense to him. "Why are you stupid enough to still love me?"

The last question earned him a sharp inhale from Geno, who clutched the empty bowl in his hand tightly. Death buried himself into the few blankets he was given as his negative thoughts consumed him, waiting for the answer to his questions.

"You're not gonna answer, huh?" He scoffed, breaking the gaze he held with him.

Geno said nothing. He got up from the couch, Death shooting a quick glance over to watch his head into the kitchen with the dirty dishes. He heard the sink run, the bowl and spoon making a small clink against one another as it was placed onto the drying rack, and the shuffling of his husband's feet made Death return his attention to the blankets that covered him. He waited a few moments longer and found Geno by his side again, this time with over-the-counter medication in his hand.

"Take a spoonful of this. I'll be back." He muttered, setting those down on the coffee table in front of him before he walked off.

The sick god stared the medicine down as if it were poisoned. He wanted Geno to come back and feed it to him, help him as he did with his soup.

'Why do I always fuck up something good that happening to me?' He asked himself, a heavy sigh escaping him as he recalled the last question he asked him. 

'Is it really that hard to just accept that he loves me?' His subconscious rose another question. 

'Who would love a controlling asshole who disrespects anybody that crosses paths with him?' The negative side of his mind questioned, Death pinching his nasal bone as more negative thoughts flooded in.

'He'd probably leave if he gets the chance.'

'You treat him like shit and expect to be treated better? You're fucking ridiculous.'

'He only needs you for protection from everyone else.'

'He probably never loved you in the first place.'

Death screwed his sockets shut as the voices in his head became louder and louder, having him shrivel up inside the blankets in hopes of muffling the sound. He shook slightly, the illness taking a toll on both his physical and mental health and tried to level his breathing, passing out into a mind-numbing sleep. He wasn't sure how long he was out before feeling a hand rest on his shoulder, his mind too cluttered to focus on who or what it was, and felt them give a quick shake.

"Death!"

Death thought he heard something, a distant voice calling out to him, but couldn't find it in him to speak.

"Death!"

There it was again. This time it sounded as if it were driven by anxiety more than anything else.

"Death! Wake up! Wake up, you bastard! You're suffocating yourself!" He shook more, his sockets jolting open when he felt a rush of cold air on his face and upper torso.

His empty sockets darted from left to right, his breathing heavy as he tried to calm down from whatever he dreamt. His sockets focused on his husband. He sat beside him with his hand pressing a cold towel against his forehead and a worried, almost scared, look in his eyelight.

"I left for a second and I come back to see you trying to kill yourself." He muttered, wiping away the cold water that dripped down his face with his sleeves. "What were you even dreaming of?"

"Gen?" Death mumbled lowly, pressing himself into Geno's shoulder as he tried to relax. "Can you answer the question from before?"

"Death, I-"

"Please?" He interrupted him with that single, very broken, word.

Geno exhaled slowly, trying to figure out how to answer his question from before.

"Because..." his voice trailed off, his sick husband's hum forcing him to continue. "Because you're different."

"Wha-" Death yawned as he buried himself deeper into Geno's hold, his sockets dropping shut as Geno tucked the blanket underneath his chin.

"You weren't like anyone I've met. You were more.. dangerous. Someone that didn't want to be fucked with and, damn, did that make it easy to fuck with you." He sighed, hearing him hum so that he would continue. "So I did. I messed with you so damn much that you started coming back at me with my same bullshit." He paused when he started to reminisce those earlier times. "Then that stopped. You got rid of every wall I put up and I loved-" A soft snore interrupted his story, Geno glancing down to find him asleep with a dull blue hue lighting up his cheekbones.

Geno let out a light chuckle, wrapping his arms around him as a sense of security, and pressed a kiss to the top of his burning up the head.

"I love you, asshole, and don't you fuckin dare question that." He murmured, his sockets slowly dropping shut.

"Love...you...Gen." The last words he heard before falling asleep, a small smile tugging at his lips when that registered in his mind.


	8. Afterdeath: What a Party

Geno rested his head against the window of Ink's car, watching the neighborhoods pass by as he let out yawn.

"Where are we going now?" He asked tiredly, kicking his feet up to tuck it underneath him comfortably.

"You'll see, but first." Ink grabbed hold of Geno's hand tightly. "I'm not going to let you go until we get inside the place."  
Geno's eyelight disappeared when he saw the mischievous grin plastered on his face. "Ink. You said we weren't going to party tonight."

"Yeah. I said that yesterday." He let go of the steering wheel, Geno's soul dropping when he felt the car swerve, and tapped the clock in his car. "It's the next day and I'm-"

"Alright! Alright! Just fucking grab the wheel!" Both of Ink's hands flew to the steering wheel, his grip tight as he swerved back into his lane. "Fucking stars Ink. You'd rather kill me than not let me sit at home alone."

"Being antisocial is bad for the health!" He scolded teasingly as they pulled up to the gated neighborhood. "What would Reaper-" Geno's head darted up, eyelights gone as he stared at his friend.

"Don't you fucking dare say his name like it's any other name." He hissed, Ink raising his hands up to surrender. "He didn't deserve the trouble I put him through." His head slowly turned to face outside his window, his gaze set up to the sky as he thought about him. "I wish I didn't fuck him up like that." He mumbled lowly in hopes of it going unheard.  
Ink remained silent as he pressed the gate code in, the gate creaking open once the confirmation beeps played out.

"Hey. It'll be okay. I'm sure he's-" Geno raises his hand up quietly as a gesture to shut him up, which worked effectively.

"I don't want to talk about it." He murmured as he rubbed his stomach carefully.

Ink winced as he pulled up to Blue's house, various cars parked on his driveway and some scattered alongside the curb in front of his house. Ink parked at the very front of the line by the curb and, once in the park, stared at his friend in concern.

"Let's go, I-"

"I'm sorry for bringing him up." Ink interjected, hoping to calm his friend down before getting him inside.

"It's fine." He opened the car door but was stopped when Ink tugged on his arm.

"It's not fine. I know how much he meant to you and I shouldn't even have brought him up after everything that happened to you both." Geno's eyelight returned and a gentle smile donned on his face as his free hand reached up to the necklace he was gifted, a soft chuckle escaping him as he shook his head.

"It's fine, really." Ink raised his bone brow in askance and Geno nodded as his confirmation. "Now, let's go inside so I can hurry up and get back outside."

Ink laughed at that as he let him go, sliding out of the driver's seat, and both doors slamming shut. Ink pressed the lock button twice, his car beeping each time, while Geno made his way up the walkway. Ink followed behind but was the one to ring the doorbell a couple of times before holding onto Geno's wrists, Geno rolling his eyelight as he reminded himself how long he was required to stick around. The door swinging open and an excited Blue screaming when he saw his close friends.

"Geno! Ink! Glad you can make it!" Blue cheered over the blaring music, the lights from inside flashing from color to color.

"Ink dragged me here." He grumbled, trying to pry his hand out of his death grip.

"I told you I'll let you go whenever we get inside." Ink scolded, Blue laughing as he held the bowl out for the two.

"What's this?" Geno glanced inside to see three to four small folded parchments.

"It's this new idea Dream wanted to try out." He set the bowl down and produced one from his pockets. "This one was the one I chose. You can ask Dream, it was random. When you unfold it, there's going to be half of a specific colored shape and someone else has the other half. The game is you have to find the other half without asking them directly or being shown their folded paper. Whoever finds their other half first gets a prize!"

"How is that possible to do without asking anything about the paper?" Geno questioned, looking down into the bowl as his hand hesitated to grab one.

"They're going to do it anyway for the prize, so does it even matter?" Blue defended, shoving the bowl closer to Geno.

He rolled his eyelight, a soft huff leaving him as he saw how excited Blue got about this game. He drew his hand into the bowl, glancing up to Blue to find him staring at a certain folded paper, and retracted his hand.

"You guys are just playing matchmaker again, aren't you?" Geno deadpanned, both Ink and Blue in stunned silence.

"Nooooo...." They both trailed on, neither looking him in the sockets.

"You guys are shitty ass liars. You both know I'm never going to get with anyone after him." Geno muttered, grabbing the farthest folded paper from the one Blue was staring down at. "Now could you let go of my hand so I can win this prize and go home?" He asked, Ink loosening his death grip so Geno could easily break free from his hold.

"Have fun! You're doing amazing sweetie!" Ink called out, Geno turning back to flip him off.  
Ink and Blue laughed, watching their antisocial friend get lost in the crowd, and shut the door so that they can talk without the others hearing.

"There are no matchings, right?" A mischievous glint flashed in Blue's smile, nodding to confirm his friend's thoughts. "That one was Reaper and Geno's bowl, right?" Ink asked, Blue nodding as he laughed. "This is going to be adorable." He admitted, both walking in after Ink picked from the bowl all the other participants had.

Geno made his way from the door to wherever the food was. The designated dance floor had a few social butterflies going from group to group in attempts to find their 'other half'. Geno finally found the food set up at the kitchen bar and grabbed a slice of pizza off the plate. He took a bite, his other hand pulling the small slip of paper out of his pocket. His free hand unfolded the paper easily, a bright blue to red ombré heart staring right back at him.

'How the hell am I supposed to find out who else has this without talking to-' His thoughts came to a stop when he felt a soft tap on his shoulder. 

Geno's head snapped up quickly, turning around to find the person with a crazy pair of sunglasses that was asking for his attention back away jokingly with their hands up.

"Sorry I disturbed ya. That pizza probably has your other half." He joked, Geno letting out a soft chuckle as he shook his head. "You got a pink star?" Geno shook his head with a sympathetic smile on his face.

"Nah. I've got this red-blue heart thing." He answered, stuffing the paper back into his pocket.

"Damn. I really want that $1,000 gift card." Geno's eyelight widened when he heard that number.

"That's the prize?!" The stranger nodded, Geno stuffing his face with the rest of the pizza. "Hope you find whoever the hell has your other half!" He bid, his voice muffled by the food.

His eyelight darted from left to right, catching quick glimpses of the papers that the people held out as he made his way across the room. Unfortunately, none of them had his other half. He ask around, some either shaking their head or gave him some kind of half clue to whoever actually had the other half. He managed to bump into the stranger from before once again, Geno glad to see that he hadn't found his other half yet either.

"Wait! You're the other dude with that red-blue heart!" Geno's socket widened when he heard that he was the other one.

Geno was about to ask who it was but decided against it. It was a really good cash prize and anyone who was smart wouldn't give it up just like that. He needed to choose his next words wisely if he wanted information about his other half.

"Yeah. I'm glad I found the dumbass." He laughed, mentally celebrating his victory as he continued to talk to him. "Speaking of which, have you seen him? That headass said he was going to the bathroom and I haven't seen him since."

"Guess I have until you find him again to win." With that, he disappeared into the crowd, leaving a disappointed Geno behind.

He smacked his forehead hard, hating himself for thinking that doing something like that would've helped him out in the end. He crumpled the paper and shoved it into his pocket, walking up the stairs to go stand out on the balcony. He reached the glass doors, grabbing hold of the golden handles and twisting it open, and stepped out into the cool night. The doors slammed shut behind him, but he could care less. He was just glad to be away from all those people and avoid the stress of meeting whoever had his other half. Geno tugged at the chain, the locket falling into his awaiting hands, and he smiled softly as his finger ran over the engraved words a few times.

"My love." He chuckled weakly, hearing his lover's voice echo those words in his mind.

His mind went blank when he felt a pair of arms snake around his waist from behind, his breathing nonexistent when he felt a head press into his scarf carefully.

"You wouldn't happen to have the red-blue heart, would you love?"

Geno froze when he heard that voice as tears pooled at the ends of his sockets, threatening to fall as he leaned back into the familiar embrace.

"R-Reaps?" He didn't want to turn around and face disappointment, fear churning in his stomach as he felt the grip around him tighten.

"Sorry I took so long." A quiet mumble escaped him as he nuzzled into his neck.

Geno took his chances, swiftly turning around and meeting the God of Death's gaze. A gasp rang clear between the two and Geno's legs gave out, Reaper catching him before he managed to hit the ground hard, and lowered the two of them carefully into a kneeling position. He let out a choked sob and covered his mouth to avoid getting louder. The tears streamed down his cheekbones the longer he stared at him.

"My love~" he purred sweetly, pulling him into a tight hug. "I'm sorry for everything I put you through."

"H-How are you back?"

"I had to give up a little something if I wanted to come back to you." He laughed nervously as he mentioned that, Geno's sockets wide as he listened to him.

"What did you do?" Reaper winced as he thought about his decision, knowing how much Geno would blame himself for it. "Reaper, please tell me. What'd you give up?"

"My responsibility as a god." A soft gasp left the smaller's mouth, his hand clamped over to suppress any other sounds.  
"I'm so sor-"

"Don't be!" He cut him off hurriedly. "This was my decision. I waited a whole two months before I was sure about it!" He raised his fingers to emphasize his point. "I knew that all I'll ever want would be to spend the rest of my mortal life with you and-" a soft blue hue dusted his cheekbones when he realized where he was leading this to but had no intention of stopping, "and I-" he took a deep breath, holding onto one of Geno's hands as he dropped down on one knee, "I hope you'd want to spend your mortal life with me, too."

A smile finally cracked on Geno's face and he hugged him tightly, laughing as tears cascaded down his cheekbones.  
"You fucking moron." He cried out, falling into his arms as he pulled him into a tight hug. "I've gotta be the biggest dumbass to say no to you."

Reaper laughed as he returned the gesture, lovingly nuzzling into his lover's neck as he listened to him sniffle softly. He pulled out of the contact first, beaming as he pressed his hand to his stomach.

"What of our child?" He asked quietly, Geno's elated emotions crumbling when he brought it up.

"He... He's gone." He mumbled, feeling a wave of guilt hit him as he thought about how defenseless he was to the reapers that had come to seek their revenge. "I wasn't-" He stopped when he felt Reaper's hand travel beneath his shirt and come to rest on his stomach to confirm his expecting husband's thoughts.

"He's not dead, Gen." Geno's eyelight widened and he looked down at the hand resting on his stomach.

"H-He's not?!" Reaper smiles and shook his head, pressing a kiss to his temple to calm him down.

"He's in a sleep state, his magic was weakened and his soul shut down so it can conserve whatever it had left." A sigh of relief left the expecting skeleton and Reaper took a deep breath as he focused on harnessing the remaining powers he had left. "I'm going to give him whatever magic I have left. This might drain me for all I've got, so, if I fall unconscious, rest assured that I'm fine, just tired." He explained, transmitting his magic through the plasmic mold of his stomach.

A soft tingle sent through the smaller's body, feeling the soul residing in him start to give shallow beats again. He was going to tell him about what he felt but silenced himself as he felt the soul beats get stronger. The tingling sensation came to an end and Reaper's head fell into Geno's lap. A quiet snore left him as he succumbed to sleep, Geno snickering as he softly pet his lover's head. His head darted up when he heard the balcony doors open up, waving to the relieved faces of Blue and Ink.

"You won." Blue mentioned with a light chuckle, handing Geno the prize money as promised.

"Thanks for bringing me, Ink." His friend brushed it off with a wave of his hand and headed back inside, Blue beaming as he tossed him keys to Ink's car.

"You can head home now. Looks like he needs it." Blue advised, motioning to the sleeping ex-god.

Geno gave a small nod and hoisted Reaper into his arms, thankful that he didn't weigh as much, and carried him down the balcony stairs to avoid going through the large crowd and disturbing his well-needed sleep. He slipped him into the passenger seat, clicking the seatbelt into place as he laid on top of the armrest, and walked headed over to the driver's side. He climbed in and drove off, returning to his shared home in a matter of minutes. He shut off the car, the sudden silence causing the old god to stir in his sleep.

"Love?" He murmured, stretching his arm out to find him by his side.

"I drove us home, Reap." He whispered, helping him out of the car.

"Snuggles?" he mumbled, clinging to Geno as if his life depended on it.

"Why wouldn't we?" He humored, leading him inside and to his room.

He nudged the door open, helping Reaper climb into bed, and turned to shut the door, Reaper holding his hand weakly to keep him by his side.

"Where-"

"I'm just closing the door." He assured, pressing a kiss to his temple as he pulled away from his loose grip.

He gently closed the door, the lock clicking into place as he stripped from his jacket to reveal the bloody tee underneath, and headed back to bed. He lied down on the opposite side, Reaper pulling him into his warm embrace, and tossed the blanket over the pair. He pressed his head against the taller's ribcage, listening to his soul hum a calming melody as he fell in and out of consciousness.

"You can sleep, Reaps." Geno teased quietly, hearing him chuckle lightly.

He sat up, half asleep as he attempted to remove the black hoodie and dark jeans he had dressed in for the party. Geno watched him in amusement as Reaper struggled to pull that article of clothing over his head. He gave it another shot, and, when that proved to fail, he dropped his arms to the side and let out a sleepy groan.

"Gen~" he whined, Geno doing everything in his power to hold back his laughter. "Help me~"

Geno sat up, pulling off his jacket effortlessly, and moved down to his jeans. He fiddled with the button and zipper, yanking those off just as easy to hear a sigh of relief leave him.

"Thank you~" he mumbled, pulling him in for a small kiss.

Geno returned the gesture lovingly, resting his hands on his shoulders when he broke off the kiss, and playfully pushed him onto the bed. Reaper's sockets widened, his face flushed when he noticed Geno above him.

"Gen-"

"Get some sleep, love~" He purred, pressing another kiss to his mouth delicately before falling to his side.  
A soft laugh left the old god, resulting in Geno earning another gentle kiss to the side of his skull.

"Goodnight, love." This rose a smile on the smaller's face as he nuzzled into his hold in attempts to get as close to him as possible, feeling his unoccupied hand come to rest on his stomach before he dozed off.

"Good night." Geno yawned, a quiet hum leaving him as he succumbed to his exhaustion.


	9. Afterdeath: Teri Meri Jodi

Reaper blindly reached for the incessant beeping of his phone, feeling around the surface of the nightstand only to fail in finding it. He let out a quiet groan as he sat up, rubbing one socket while he forced the other to search for the annoying sound. He turned to face the nightstand, rolling his eyelight in annoyance when he found it resting at the farthest edge, and snoozed the alarm for another fifteen minutes. He lied back down and pulled his husband's body toward himself.

"Reaper..." he murmured quietly, tossing over to pressing face into his chest for comfort.

"Few more minutes, love." He advised sleepily, almost lulling himself back to sleep if it hadn't been for the quiet humming.

"You have an early shift today." The smaller pointed out tiredly as he pulled away from the warm gesture. "I'll go make breakfast." He pressed a small kiss against the side of his mouth, a teasing smile on his face when he saw Reaper's sockets open up, and slid out of bed. 

He made his way across the large master room, the carpet beneath his feet a pleasant change from the wood flooring throughout the rest of the house, and shot a quick glance back to find him sitting up and leaning against the headboard as he rubbed the sleep out of his socket. He took a careful step outside the room and headed down the stairs. The cold air nipped at his bones, hugging himself to retain some warmth, and found himself near the kitchen. He drifted toward the coffee maker, setting the pot to make two cups before heading to the fridge. He decided to keep it simple, not knowing exactly what he's like to have for breakfast, and pulled out four eggs and some milk. He whisked those together in a bowl, setting it aside when he got the idea to add diced onions and peppers to the mix. He poured it into the frying pan, listening to the soft hissing as it sizzled. He flipped it over to cook the other side and rolled it up, achieving the omelet look he desired and served it onto a plate. The hat resting on the countertop caught his attention, glancing up from his cooking to find his husband dressed and ready for work. A soft blush adorned his face, glancing away quickly to make sure he hadn't caught sight of it to save himself from his light-hearted teasing.

"You know Geno, I was thinking." He picked an apple out of the fruit basket and was close to taking a bite of it if Geno hadn't held his hand out. Reaper chuckled and handed it over, watching him run it through the running faucet before returning it in his outstretched hand. "We should go on our honeymoon."

"H-Honeymoon?" He repeated timidly, hearing an affirming hum as he took another hearty bite of his preferred fruit. "W-We only just got married though." He murmured quietly when approaching the subject of their union.

"Gives us a good two and a half weeks to get to know each other." Geno was tempted to argue against it, knowing how costly the trip would be, but bit his tongue to hold back.

"What about the money?" He posed the nagging question as he set the omelet in front of him, looking to him as he attempted to decipher his emotions from his facial expression, but was surprised to find a smile on his face as he took his first bite.

"Don't worry about that, love." He took another bite of the well-prepared meal. "I've got enough in my bank account to pay for it and, with the money we were gifted from the wedding, we'll come back to be well off. This is really good, by the way." He raised a forkful of the omelet to him after taking another bite, watching as his newly wedded husband shyly took up the offering. "Where to, love?"

"A-Anywhere, a-as long as I'm with y-you," Geno answered quietly, finding sudden interest in the two dirty dishes in the sink. Reaper stopped himself from teasing him about his comment, looking down to his empty plate as a soft-toned blue-tinted his cheekbones.

"How about a tour of the big cities in Europe?" His head shot up at the suggestion, Reaper holding back the laugh when he saw his eyelight widen adorably. "I heard it looks beautiful around this time. We could go see France and Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Britain. Any other place I missed if you want to see it."

"Really?" Reaper's soul swooned at how excited he sounded, even though his calm composure said otherwise, and nodded to confirm.

"Nothing less for my sweet wife." He bit back his laugh when he saw the title clearly irk the smaller.

"Husband." He was surprised that he managed to venture out of his comfort zone and correct him on his words. "Not your wife." Reaper was ecstatic, seeing that he had already managed to create a small crack on the walls he built.

"Aww, but it sounds better though." Geno looked up from his fiddling hands and shook his head. "You gotta admit, wife sounds cuter." Reaper propped his arm up on the countertop, leaning his head into it to eye his spouse as he considered his words.

"Then you're my wife." Reaper shook his head and Geno furrowed his bone brow. "Why-"

"Because I'm the husband, says so during our wedding." He reminded him playfully, laughing a bit when he saw him cross his arms over his chest.

"I didn't get a say when they told me to wear the dress, okay?" He admitted, the red on his face brightening as he recalled how they had managed to get him into that pristine white dress in the first place.

"You... You didn't?" The taller had been oblivious to this fact and felt his anxiety crawl up his back as he began to consider what other wishes of his spouse's getting ignored. The smaller shook his head and ducked low. "You did have a say when deciding if you wanted to marry me or not, right?"

Geno's head shot up when he heard him say that, realizing his mistake in mentioning that small tidbit of information to an overthinker like him. The blush on his face never faded, only brightening as he nodded his answer. A sigh of relief left the officer as he got up from the barstool, the sudden screech on the tile catching his husband's attention.

"I've got to head out if I wanna make it on time."

"C-Can I- never mind..." Reaper saw his eyelight dart to the hat on the counter before falling to the ground below him, the taller rolling his eyelight playfully as he picked it up.

"Mind helping me, sweetheart?~" he held his hat out to him, watching him hold back his excited smile as he took the hat into his hands. He carefully set it atop his head, pulling it down to make sure it wouldn't tip-off with the slightest bit of force. Reaper could only loving stare at his adorable Geno, his tongue poking out the side of his mouth and curling in as he focused on making the presentation of it as close to perfect as possible and the triumph smile on his face once he got it the way he liked it. "Thanks~" He took note of the reaction he would get when purring his gratitude or small requests, reminding himself to do that more often in hopes of having him warm up to him.

"N-No problem." A bit of his soul crumbled when hearing him return to his previous timid self, yet smiled nonetheless as he headed for the front door. "Um... Reaps? Forgetting something?"

"Oh right." He walked back over to his side, wrapping his arm around his slim waist while the other hand came up to cup the right side of his face. He closed the distance between the two, earning a surprised squeak from him as he returned the sweet gesture, and pulled away a few seconds before losing himself to the lust building up inside him. "Love the pet name~" Geno let out a breathy hum as he indulged in his husband's gentle touches, an almost audible whine leaving him as he came back to his senses when the taller had taken a step back. "As much as I would love to stay, I've really got to get going." Reaper managed to take a few steps away from him before hearing his calming voice once again, this time with a bit more confidence just as he had moments ago.

"You're sure you're not forgetting something?"

"I already kissed you-" he turned to find the keys to his bike dangling from his index finger while his wallet was held in the same hand, the blush softened as Geno gave him a knowing grin, "o-oh. Right. That." He headed back over to him, holding out his hand out to receiving those two important items. "T-Thanks." He coughed out sheepishly while the other took a small step forward.

"Where's that cocky demeanor of yours?" Reaper was surprised at the sudden jolt of confidence the smaller had to make such a comment and reciprocated a smile similar to his partner's.

"Right where that timidness of yours from before went." He mocked, briefly laughing alongside him before pressing a quick kiss to his temple. "See you tonight, love."

"See ya, Reaps." He walked him to the door, earning another quick peck. "I love you." Although those three words were new to him, he was sure that he meant them, and hoped Reaper would return the loving message.

"Love you too~" Geno beamed upon hearing those words leave his mouth, and gently shoved him out the door as the two laughed. "There's that shyness again!" He teased once Geno successfully got him to step out of the house, waving to him as he left the neighborhood.

His face flushed the longer he thought about their small exchange from today. He shut the door behind him, leaning against it for a split second before hearing low beeps coming from the kitchen. With his thoughts already assuming the worst, he dashed to the kitchen only to find the coffee from earlier now ready to serve. He shook his head at himself, picking up one of the cups as he fished his phone out of the pocket of his shorts. He clicked his contact and began typing.

Geno: Forgot your coffee too

Reaper: I can safely blame you for that one :p

Geno: How me???

Reaper: Because you're all that's on my mind~ <3

The smaller felt his soul thrum happily when reading that message over. For a second day into his arranged marriage, it wasn't as bad as he had expected. Reaper was exactly who he presented himself as and Geno couldn't wish for anything more. He decided to start breaking apart the wall he had built after his first relationship.

Geno: You're gonna make up for it tomorrow morning though

Reaper: Fine by me, love~

Reaper: Just got to the station. Love you! See you when I get home!

"Love you too, idiot." He mumbled to himself, setting his phone on the counter as he collected the dirty dishes around the kitchen, and mutter those words to himself once more before starting on the list of work he had set for himself.


	10. Afterdeath: Just let them go

Goth sighed with relief as he plopped down onto the bus seat. The school was finally let out for the year and he had a whole summer before entering the overworked life of a high school junior.

"Hey Goth!" He looked over and smiled wide as he watched his friend slide into the seat beside him. "You have any plans for the summer?"

"Nah. Not really. I'm guessing dad's going to take me out reaping like always." Goth shrugged off, Palette cocking his head to the side.

"Aw, you're gonna be busy?"

"I dunno. I was just guessing."

"You think you wanna come with me on a trip? My stepdad was planning on taking a tour of Europe."

"I don't want him to buy an extra ticket just for me." Goth reasoned, Palette shaking his head.

"He's not going to-" Palette was cut off by Goth's snickering.

"I don't have money to-" Goth was cut himself short when he heard his best friend laugh.

"No silly. Let me finish." He managed to say in between, "My stepdad wanted to take my dad instead, but dad was booked to work all summer, so he gave me the tickets. He said I was allowed to go under five conditions. I have to 1) Leave my location services on Snapchat so they know if I got left behind on the tour or not. 2) Follow the tour and not wander off if not permitted to. 3) Send them a snap whenever I'm leaving the country. D) Call them every night so they know I'm fine. And E) Have my best friend with me."

Goth snickered at the way he counted those rules but nodded nonetheless.

"I'll ask mom and dad if I can go. I'll have to pack light if we're going to tour the biggest sights in Europe." The starry eyelight said in Palette's sockets sparkling as they widened with interest.

"This is going to be the best summer ever!" He cheered, raising his hand enthusiastically for a high five.

Goth laughed at his friend's childlike behavior and gave him what he wanted. They discussed the summer trip further, planning on when to start packing and which days he should sleepover so the two can put together a schedule, which they both knew was going to go ignored whenever the trip actually happens. Their stop came soon enough, Palette following him out so that Goth's parents saying yes is ensured. The bus took off and Palette began putting together a list of reasons why their plan of asking together would be foolproof.

"If they know you won't be alone, they'd have to say yes, right?" Palette asked his nervous friend, Goth shrugging for his answer.

"It's out of the country, Pal. I doubt they'll be so thrilled." He reasoned, reaching into his pockets for the keys.

"But you're with your best bud who would never let anything happen to you!" He added, Goth blushing lightly when he threw his arms over his shoulder.

"I'm keeping you in check too, mister." Goth teased as he unlocked the door to his house.

"YOU'RE A FUCKING TERRIBLE PERSON!" Goth's eyelight vanished when he heard his mother yell.

That insult was followed by his father's laughter.

"HA! YOU'RE JUST AN IMMATURE LITTLE BITCH!" Goth looked over at Palette, whose expressions fell mute.

"They're prob-" Goth's reasoning was cut off by what he dreaded to hear.

"I WANT A DIVORCE, YOU STRAIGHT UP PIECE OF SHIT!" Goth slammed his backpack down and ran into the living room, their screaming covering up the sound.

"Mom! Dad! Wait! We can-" he halted in his tracks when he saw Waluigi circle around on the map with the words 'next race' in bold white letters covering up the center.

He glanced over and saw his mom straddling him as he strangled his dad, his dad laughing his head off as he attempted to push him away.

"That makes five wins and you lost the bet. So stop being a sore loser~" Reaper reminded, a smirk playing on his face.

"Guys. It's just a game." Goth whined, annoyed that his parents worried him so much.

"Oh shit. Sorry Goth." Geno reared back and sat where Reaper's stomach should be. "Didn't know you came home this early."

"You guys really scared me. I thought-" Goth's sentence came to a pause when he heard his father laugh.

"You really thought your mom would leave me like that?" He pulled Geno closer to him, their mouths close enough for a kiss.

Geno had other plans. He covered Reaper's mouth with his free hand and pushed himself up to be as far away as possible.

"Don't fucking tempt me. I will leave." His empty threat earning him a muffled chuckle from his husband, Geno rolling his eyelight in annoyance. "What'd you need, kiddo?" His attention finally on his son.

"O-Oh Yeah. I just wanted to ask-" Palette had other plans and beat him to it in asking.

"You guys trust me, right?" He asked, Goth letting out a soft groan as he pinched his nasal bone.

"Well yeah we trust you-" Geno didn't finish his sentence since Reaper had other plans.

"I mean we could always snitch you out to Ink!" He mentioned, his voice still muffled by Geno's hands.

"Shut-" Geno's eyelight vanished when he felt Reaper's tongue trace over the palm of his hand and he removed them quickly, wiping them into his husband's robe. "OH MY FUCKING GOD REAPER! I CAN'T FUCKING BELIEVE YOU!"

"I know you liked it~" Reaper mumbled lowly, his comment going unheard by everyone but the one it was intended for. "Anyways, why you asking?" Reaper laughed, hearing Geno mutter a few swears under his breath as his magic radiated off his cheekbones.

"I'll get to that." Palette waved off, Goth rolling his single eyelight in annoyance. "You guys would trust me with Goth's life too, right?"

Geno eventually settled on a punch to his shoulder as an even payback and focused on the conversation at hand.

"It kinda depends," Reaper answered honestly, surprising Geno with his answer.

"What are you both planning?" Geno teases, both their heads tilting in confusion.

"Definitely an elope," Reaper suggested, Geno laughing at their now blushing faces.

"Nooooo daaaaaaad." Goth grumbled, hiding behind his red scarf in hopes of the awkward moment dying down faster. "Palette wants to me to tour Europe with him." He finally said, neither of the parents catching that.

"So would it be okay if Goth came with me to tour Europe?" Palette suggested, his starry eyelights widened with excitement.

Geno winced, "Europe?" Palette nodded, "I don't know-"

"Not all of Europe. Just Venice, Rome, Florence, Paris, and London." He laughed nervously, his laughter silenced when he saw the look of 'you're not helping' Goth gave him. "We'll stick together! I promise on my life I'll bring Gothy back home safely!" He promised, holding Goth's hands tightly in his own.

Geno let out a heavy sigh, glancing over at Reaper to find him giving him a single nod with a thumbs up, and rolled his eyelight in defeat.

"Alright. He can-" his answer was cut off by Goth and Palette's screams of joy. "At least wait till I'm done talking." Geno laughed their attention on him in an instant. "Goth can go, under one condition."

"Seriously? I had five!" Palette whined, Goth snickering as he punched him lightly.

"I'm more responsible than you." He mocked, Palette sticking his tongue right back out at him.

"Enough." Geno put an end to their lighthearted bickering. "I want to be informed if anything serious happened, alright? I don't like the idea of you getting hurt or lost or left behind or missing the flight or taken- actually I change my mind!" Geno worried himself out of his previous decision.

"But mom, I-"

"Please, Mister Geno! I promise we'll let you know! We'll call every night!" Palette bargained, Geno shaking his head.

"I-I'm sorry kids. I-I just can't- I-I don't want Goth-" Reaper let out a heavy sigh, pulling his husband into a hug as he ushered the children to leave.

They did as told and hurried off, both grabbing their backpacks from the entryway before they headed upstairs.

"What was that, love?" He asked gently, pulling him closer to him.

"I-I don't know. I-I don't w-wanna lose him." Geno stammered, feeling his soul race as he thought of every negative thing that could happen to his child if he went on that trip.

"You won't." He mumbled, pressing a kiss to his temple carefully. "He's going to come back, just like he always does." He assured, Geno shaking his head slowly.

"A-And if h-he doesn't?" Reaper shook his head slowly, resting his chin atop of Geno's head.

"He will. He can't really die either. The worst that could happen is that he'd get lost and, let's both be honest here, there's no way that we can't find him since Palette is going to stay by him."

"Y-Yeah I guess, b-but-"

"There aren't any but's to that, love." He sighed, softly rubbing his back as he attempted to calm him down from his overthinking antics. "They're growing up and we gotta help him do that, not shelter him from it."

"You say that like Ink doesn't do the same." He grumbled, Reaper letting out a low chuckle.

"And look at where that led Palette. He's an amazing kid, but he doesn't know as much about the world as our son does. And that's because you...?" He waited for Geno to finish his sentence.

"I fucked up?" he offered, Reaper rolling his eyelight playfully.

"Sure. Yeah. You fucked up-"

"At least you agreed with me," Geno grunted, burying his face into his chest in an attempt to calm down.

"You never let me finish~" His comment earned him a weak punch to the shoulder. "I was saying that you fucked up in the best way possible.

"Whatever." He grumbled.

"So we're agreeing on letting him go, right?" Geno leaned back, glaring at him when he saw his smile widen.

"No. I don't want him going and that's final." Geno reiterated.

"I'll beat you in Mario Kart for it?" He waged humorously, Geno rearing back to glare at him.

"Are you fucking serious?" He asked, Reaper nodded. "We're going to play Mario Kart to see if our son goes to Europe or not?" Reaper nodded once again, Geno rolling his eyelight. "I'm not going to do that. I'm not that-"

"Guess that means you accepted defeat." Geno felt a wave of anger and determination wash over him as he grabbed the Wii-mote.

"You're going down." He growled, selecting the next course in order to prove a point to Reaper. "If I win, he stays."

"When I win, he goes." Reaper retorted, the countdown on the tv building up tension between the two.

The race began. Geno taking off with a sudden boost from revving his engine before the countdown was over. Reaper was in third, taking his sweet time as he made his way through Rainbow Road, drifting any time there was a curved road ahead.

"Remember not to fall off, Gen~" He cooed, hoping that his sudden tip would throw him off.

"Duh. I'm not- WHAT THE FUCK?!" His words came to a screeching halt when Mario had bumped into him, knocking him off the course.

Reaper laughed, passing Geno as he hung from the hook that placed him back on the path. "Goth! Pack your bags! You're going after all!" He called out jokingly, passing Yoshi to obtain first place for the first lap.

Geno slammed the A button-down harshly, swerving past the characters to grab the boxes before they could. He grabbed another item as he crossed the finish line for the second lap. Reaper was right in front of him and the item landed on a blue shell, Geno smiling like a madman.

"Better watch your fuckin' back, Reaper!" He laughed, about to hit it when he heard Reaper laugh.

"You throw that shit and we both go down." He laughed as he kept Geno on his tail.

"Fuckin' damn it!" He grunted, both neck and neck for the final lap. Reaper shot a quick glance at the roster, snickering as he slowed down. "Ha! Eat shit, Reaper! Imma win!"

"Think again, baby~" He purred, watching Bowser in dead last use his ghost and steal Geno's blue shell from him. 

"Bowser's gonna get you before I do~" He sang, holding onto the red shell as he watched the blue shell fly from last to first.

"NOOOOO!" Geno cried out, getting hit and watching Reaper let go of the red shell and swerve from the wide explosion.  
Reaper laughed maniacally as he continued to head toward the finish line, the red shell waiting for Geno to recover so it could leave him disoriented once again. He crossed the finish line, Geno throwing his Wii-mote in frustration.  
"I CAN'T FUCKING BELIEVE YOU! YOU ASSHOLE! I CAN'T BELIEVE I TOOK YOU UP ON THAT DEAL!" He shouted as he tackled him once again, Reaper laughing as he watched Waluigi celebrate his victory.

"Mom? Dad? Is everything-" Goth's voice traveled down the stairs and found his parents in the same position when he came home from school. "Did dad win again?" He deadpanned, Geno letting out a prolonged groan as Reaper nodded.

"Yup and the wager was that you got to go on your little trip if I won." The corners of Goth's mouth perked up when he heard that.

"Really?!" Reaper nodding, Goth turning on his heels. "Palette! I get to go!" Loud thumps followed as he headed up the stairs quickly to pack.

"I can't believe you played me like that, Reaper," Geno mumbled as he shrunk away from the celebrating skeleton, Reaper letting out a few quiet chuckles as he attempted to calm himself down.

"Geno~" He cooed, trying to wrap his arm around him to start comforting him only to have him shrink away from any physical contact. "Geno, baby, come on. It's just a game."

"So is life," He mumbled sourly, tucking his knees under his chin, "and I'm constantly losing."

"Geno~" Reaper groaned, shutting to tv and game system off. "It's just a game, babe. It's not determining your life." He reminded, softly rubbing his back. "You wanna watch a movie and cuddle instead?" Geno shook his head at his offer. "How about we go out to dinner tonight? I know how much you love that barbecue place." Another head shake. "You want me to eat you out then?~" Geno's attention darted up from his knees to Reaper, his face immediately flushing a red hue.

"R-Reaper!" He stammered, earning a quick kiss to his temple.

"That was just to get you to look at me, love." Reaper teased, Geno letting out a soft huff as he leaned into his hold. 

"They'll be back before you know it. It's only gonna be what, like a month of the summer?"

"20 days actually!" Palette shouted from upstairs.

Reaper and Geno let out a soft chuckle, Reaper relieved that he was no longer as stressed as he was before.

"I guess you're right." He sighed, Reaper nodding lightly as Geno continued. "He should be able to explore the world. He's growing up and I can't stop that."

"That's the spirit." He nudged Geno playfully, Geno laughing as he shoved him back. "My last offer still stands though~" The tone of his voice gave away what he was hinting at, earning a slap across the face.

"I can never have a sweet moment with you." He grumbled, his face turning blue as he walked off. Reaper followed behind him as he tried to apologize for it, his laughter and inappropriate jokes accompanying him.


	11. Afterdeath: Thank god I was drunk

The front doorbell chimed multiple times as a group of four left the establishment.

"Same time tomorrow?" asked Cross, stumbling over his own two feet if it weren't for Nightmare holding him up.

"Hell no!" Reaper laughed, stumbling back a bit due to the laughs that racked his body.

"Come oooooonnnn~" Cross groaned, "Drinking's fun as hell."

"Relax, love. You had one too many in there." Nightmare mumbled, trying to keep Cross balanced as best he could.

"We'll hang out Saturday, aight?" Error said, pinching his nasal bone in frustration of being the designated driver for the night. "And I'm not driving you guys that time." He muttered, making his way to the car. "Nightmare, keep an eye on them." He learned his lesson last time when Reaper decided to play hide and seek in the giant parking lot.

"Deuces guys." Reaper flashed a peace sign and waved it around as he walked over to a nearby restaurant.

"Reaper, get the fuck back over here." Nightmare snapped, Reaper flipping him off with both hands as he continued to walk. "Alright! You're gonna be on breakfast duty if you leave!" Reaper persisted with his cravings and pressed on. "We're gonna leave you here!"

"That's fine by me!" He shouted back, stumbling left and right with every step as he approached The House of Waffles. "I just want some motherfuckin' waffles." He grumbled, hearing his stomach growl loudly.

He approached the doors, pressing his face into the glass to see inside. The lights were still on and the waiters and waitresses were serving the few customers that showed up. Reaper licked his lips tastefully and pulled the door open, staggering in and sitting at a booth table. He stared out the window, his attention drawn by the menu being placed in front of him.

"Welcome to House of Waffles. What would you like to drink?" The waitress asked, Reaper looking up to her in a daze.

"Another shot." He requested confidently, the waitress giving him a humorous look.

"I'm guessing you stumbled in from the bar, huh?" She asked, Reaper agreeing immediately.

"Hell yeah! I just wanted some waffles, but Nightmare and Error were being assholes." He explained, hearing the waitress laugh.

"You're one of my brother's friends?" Reaper squinted at the female monster, confused by what she said.

"Both of them have brothers?" He slurred.

"Yeah. I'm Error's."

"Wait. You're Geno?" His waiter nodded, "I'm not judging but the uniform.." Reaper was beyond lost now that he knows the waitress is actually a waiter.

"My friend's." He groaned, recalling the humiliation his co-workers put him through. "She gave me hers whenever she was heading out since she spilled shit on mine." What Geno didn't know was that Reaper wasn't listening to a word he said. His mind was occupied with thoughts of Geno, both innocent and dirty alike.

"Fuckin damn. Can you rock a dress~" Reaper purred, Geno blushing heavily.

"Will you keep your damn voice down?" He hissed quietly, directing his gaze at the kitchen in hopes of his co-workers missing what he had said.

"How loud am I?" Reaper asked, Geno letting out a heavy sigh.

"You are really fucking loud. Just whisper." He instructed, Reaper nodding as he leaned in closer.

"Oh okay." He whispered, a wave of relief washing over Geno. "I meant you look really pretty in your uniform."

"I just told you it's not mine," he grumbled, hating how the red hue engulfed his cheekbones.

"You still look pretty in it, but hotter without it~" He flirted, Geno walking back to the kitchen with the menu in hand.

Reaper shrugged his shoulders as he laughed quietly, pulling out his phone. He opened up his messages with Error and started to type up a message, ignoring his texts about where he was.

Reaper: ddue yuor brootheer is fiiiineee

Error: DUDE WHAT THE FUCK WHY THE HELL ARE YOU AT HOUSE OF WAFFLES?!

Reaper: I jsutt watneed waffels

Error: Alright. Fuck it. Good luck getting home

Reaper: Errroo ore comem oback

Reaper: Err or?

Reaper snickered, locking his phone and looked up to find Geno standing by him once again with a glass of water.

"Sober up, dude." He advised, handing him the glass. "Your food will be out in a minute."

"You mind talking to me more?" Reaper asked, Geno looking over at him.

"I'll go get your food." He muttered, heading back into the kitchen.

Reaper sighed, throwing himself back to lean against the padded seats. He clutched his stomach, hearing a growl time and time again.

"Here you are." Reaper beamed when he saw the two plates of waffles sitting in front of him.

Reaper felt his happiness slowly fade when Geno turned back but was ecstatic to watch him come back with another full glass of water and slide in on the other side of the booth.

"So what'd you want to talk about, patron?" He joked, Reaper taking a huge bite of the waffles.

"The name's Reaper." He introduced, stretching his hand out to him.

"You already know my name so it's kinda pointless to say." Geno joshed, taking Reaper's hand and shaking it.

"I never see you whenever I hang with Error." He said, Geno rolling his eyelight in annoyance.

"Who do you think pays the bills?" He questioned, Reaper giving him a bewildered look.

"And Error doesn't pitch in?"

"He does. He has work in the mornings and evening classes. I take up the night shifts and take morning classes." He explained, Reaper nodding as he took another huge bite. "What about you?"

"Hmm?" His mouth stuffed to the brim with waffles as he chewed with great difficulty, Geno laughing as he offered him the water to help soften some of it.

"I'll let you finish." He joked, watching him take huge sips and try to swallow the mouthful he had made him laugh. He managed to get it down, breathing heavily as he coped with almost choking. "You good?"

"Never been better." He flashed what he thought was a charming smile and a thumbs up, but what Geno saw was a goofy smile with his thumbs up higher than he needed. His drunk customers always gave him a laugh. "You were saying?"

"Oh." Geno snickered. "I was asking about you. You pretty much know me through Error, but I know literally nothing about his friends."

"Really?" Geno nodded and Reaper took another huge gulp of water. "Well. I'm his best friend. We usually hang out with Nightmare, Cross, and Dust. Sometimes. His man's trying to get him to stop being an alcoholic and I respect that."

"Are you an alcoholic?" Reaper laughed a little as he shook his head.

"Just because I drink for fun doesn't mean I'm addicted." He retorted, taking another heavily loaded bite of his waffles. "But I'll drink from time to time, just, not like an alcoholic, ya know?" Geno snickered but nodded regardless. "Other than that. I'm twenty-three, I work in a morgue, I'm single-"

"Hold up. You work in a morgue?!" Geno hissed, Reaper shrugged as he took a gulp of his water.

"It's not that bad, honestly. I'm just the assistant. I only do a few things before Doctor Sci shows up and does the rest." He informed, nearing the end of his waffles as he waited for Geno to say something.

"Does being around dead bodies not scare you?" Reaper gave another shrug and had his last bite, pushing the plate to the side as he chewed carefully.

"You kinda grow used to it. Besides, it's kinda cool, in an 'I'm definitely not a serial killer'-ish kinda way. Just the science behind finding out when they were killed or how they died is incredible." He explained further, Geno giving a slow nod as he thought on the subject a little more.

"I guess. Still, I don't have it in me to do that stuff." He brushed off, glancing over at Reaper to find him starting to consume the scrambled eggs on the smaller plate. "And why'd you mention the fact your single? That's nowhere near relevant to the job you have."

"Hopeful that this little meetup lands me a date with you." Geno laughed at that, a nervous chuckle following along by Reaper. "Thatwasn'tajokeyou'reactuallyfuckingcute." He mumbled under his breath.

"I guess that alcohol in your system messed up your eyesight too." Reaper was confused by his joke and hearing his laughter follow it didn't help him put it together.

"Wha...?" He was ecstatic to hear that he found him funny and his company enjoyable, but he didn't get where in the conversation he told a joke.

"You thought I was cute." He snickered, a small frown forming on his face.

"But you are cute." His persistence earned him another terse chuckle as he waved it off.

"Let the alcohol flush out your system before you say shit like that." He advised, gesturing the now ignored the second plate of waffles. "You're not gonna finish these?"

"I will if you let me take you out." His retort earned him another chuckle as Geno rolled his eyelight.

"If you could finish this in the next twenty seconds without dying, I'll let you." He wagered, Reaper's eyelights widening as he stared down at his stack of waffles. "Ready?" Reaper grabbed hold of his fork, stabbing it into the waffles on his plate, and gave a confident nod. Geno pulled his phone out and tapped on the stopwatch icon. "And. Go!" He started the time and Reaper began eating away. It didn't take him more than four bites to finish all that was on his plate, impressing the waiter as he stopped the time and showed him the results. "I guess you-" a loud thud caused the smaller to jolt in his seat, laughing quietly when he saw his head slammed against the table and soft snores leaving him.

'He must've been tired. Hopefully, he won't have a hangover tomorrow.' Geno tapped out the stopwatch and went over to his messages, tapping on his brother's icon to send him a quick text.

Geno: Come get your friend. He passed the fuck out at the diner.

Error: God damn it. Okay. I'll send his roommate your way.

Geno stood up from his seat, gathering the dirty dishes off the table, and headed off toward the kitchen to hand it off to the busboy. He walked back over to his side, rubbing his back gently as he shifted his head to avoid getting a crook in his neck, and pressed a small kiss against the back of his skull before heading off. The front bell chimed, Geno glancing up from gathering the dirty napkins off the table to find a goopy stranger standing at the welcome desk.

"Can I get you a table or booth?" Geno asked instinctively, seeing him shake his head.

"Error texted me to come to get Reaper, says the drunk idiot passed out here." Geno let out a small laugh and gestured to where he was fast asleep, Nightmare rolling his eyelight as he walked over to his side and grabbed hold of him. "Sorry for any trouble he caused."

"It was more amusing than trouble if I'm being honest." Geno laughed, watching him toss Reaper over his shoulder flawlessly. "I guess this is a norm for you guys."

"Yeah. He's the one who's always gotta go get food after getting wasted. Normally, Error's with him, but I guess he didn't give a shit this time."

Geno waved bye to the two as they walked out, polishing up the table Reaper ate at for the next guests at the breakfast rush.

Reaper stirred the next morning, his sockets squinting as the sun beamed directly in his sockets. He tossed the blanket over his head, trying to go back to sleep, but felt it get tugged off immediately and the bright light blind him once again

"Wake up bitch. You're making breakfast." Nightmare grumbled, Reaper shoving his friend to the side as he let out a string of incoherent mumbles. "Also, a random number has been texting you nonstop since we got here." Nightmare left his room after sharing that bit of information, reminding him to get up to prepare breakfast for the three of them.

Reaper reached for his phone, flinching when the screen's brightness burned his eyelights. He blinked slowly, trying to adjust to it before turning it down, and noticed the random number had messaged him three times.

'Nonstop my ass.' He grumbled, unlocking his phone to see who this person was and what they had to say.

Unknown number: Hey. It's Geno. Just texting to make sure you got home safely and that you don't have to worry about paying for the food. It's on me. Let me know whenever you're not drunk lol

Unknown number: Oh, by the way, I got your number from Error. So I'm not some weirdo who dug through your phone when you passed out at the table.

Unknown number: I know you're probably asleep considering the time, but you did win the bet. Let me know the date and time and I can confirm it with my work schedule.

Reaper was sort of confused about the last text, trying to recall what he had said to Geno to convince him to say that.

Reaper: Well, that's one hell of a wake-up call lol

Reaper: Yeah I got home safe. Thanks for worrying.

Reaper: I wouldn't have minded if you were a weirdo who dug through my phone~

Reaper: I'm fine with whatever day works with you~

He assumed that he had asked him out, trying to remember through his hangover if he actually had the courage to flirt with someone like that. He created his contact in the meantime, so he wouldn't have to see an unknown number every time on his lock screen. His phone buzzed to life as soon as he sent that message, a smile working his way on his face.

Geno: Great! Can't wait to see you again!

Reaper: Heh, missing me already?~

Geno: pfft you wish that were true

Reaper: It is true, isn't it?

He noted the lack of immediate responses and laughed, seeing the grey text bubble up from his side of the conversation.

Geno: ....no it's not

Reaper: Alright love, whatever you say~

Geno: Would Wednesday at around 8 work for you? I've got Mondays and Thursdays off from work and online classes those mornings.

Reaper: I've got breaks on Thursdays too. We should hang.

Geno: Yeah definitely!

Geno: See you Wednesday.

Reaper: Wnat me to swign by half an ohur early to pick you ip?

He noticed the errors in his message after he hit send, letting out a prolonged groan as he typed his message up again to correct his mistakes.

Reaper: Want* me to swing* by half an hour* early to pick you up*?

He didn't get a proper answer, only a few laughing emojis following up on his corrected message. His phone slipped from his hand, dropping into his chest as he groaned lightly. A dull buzz caught his attention and he focused on his phone instantaneously, seeing that it was Geno's message.

Geno: Sure, that'd be fine.

Reaper let out a soft sigh, his cheekbones flushed a soft blue hue as he went to message him back.

Reaper: See you then, love~

"Yo Nightmare?!" He called out, sitting up in bed as he tossed his phone back onto his pillow.

"What?!" He snickered at the aggravated voice of his roommate.

"Get dressed! I'm buying breakfast for us!" He got out of bed, his stiff joints popping into place as he looking into his closet for the best choice in his attire. He had to take them to his new favorite 24-hour diner to subtly show off the person he managed to get a date with. While skimming through his closet, a single thought occurred to him, and smiled as he pulled out his signature black hoodie.

'Bless the drunk me for scoring this date.'


	12. Afterdeath: Reaper, stop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April fool's prank went a little too far... Poor Goth

Geno had just finished getting Goth cleaned up after a hectic day at kindergarten, lovingly listening to his son explain his day to him as he attempted to dress after his bath for the umpteenth time.

"You sure you don't need any help, kiddo?" He humored lightly as he picked up the dirty towel and drained the tub.

Goth let out a quiet hum as he struggled with getting his hoodie over his head, never seeming to find the hole that he had to push his little head through. When he failed to find it again, he threw the hoodie down on the bathroom floor and whined. "Mommy~" Geno bit back his laughter and helped him pull that article of clothing over his head.

"Where'd Gothy go?" He cooed lightly, his son's head bursting through the top and a wide smile decorating his face. "There he is!" A quick peck to the top of his skull gave his son the confidence boost to try and put his pants on while Geno took his laundry down. "Meet you downstairs, okay?" Goth gave a distracted nod as he sat on the shower mat to put his pants on easily.

Geno headed down the stairs with the laundry basket in hand, quietly humming a tune as he listened to his husband bustling in the kitchen. "You better not be setting the house on fire again, Reap-"

"One time! It was one-" a short defeated groan left the taller as he continued his search, "-never mind." He snickered hearing him give up on defending himself and loaded the washing machine. "We're going out for dinner tonight." The smaller skeleton perked up at the sound of that, poking his head out the laundry room to shoot a confused glance at his husband.

"Why's that?"

"I'm going to need to make up for this."

"Make up for what?" Geno didn't like how simple and vague his explanation was and watched him reach into the cupboard, the small box of elbow macaroni in his hands. "Reaper?" He started to give his husband a warning but found himself at a loss when he carried those two uncooked bits to the living room.

"Goth! You wanna step on my back?" That's when Geno put the pieces together, ready to scold Reaper for even attempting to possibly traumatize their poor four-year-old.

"Reaper, I swear to God, if you do what I think you're about to do-" his threat was cut short when the two heard their son come bouncing down the stairs.

"I can do it! I can do it! I can do it!" His innocent cheering tugged at Geno's heartstrings, knowing that the giddiness he was feeling right about now would slip away once he steps up. "Ready daddy?"

"Yup, you know it bud." He stretched his arms out a bit before lying down on his front, the two pieces of macaroni in position, and began mentally preparing himself for the possible crying. Goth placed his right foot first, resting with his half his weight to make sure he hadn't hurt him, and placed his left alongside it, his smile dropping when he heard that sickening crunch beneath his feet. "Goth." Reaper winced painfully, the toddler jumping off his father's back instantly as tears welled in his sockets.

"Daddy?!" He cried out, his volume much higher than Reaper had expected, though that didn't stop him from playing the part. He rolled onto his side and clutched his back, letting out pained grunts as Goth continued to panic about possibly breaking his dad's bones. "D-Daddy, I'm sorry! I'm sorry I-I hurt you, daddy! I-It was an accident! Are you okay?! M-Mommy! Mommy?!" Geno rushed out once he got the washing machine going and scooped up Goth into his arms, hugging him close, synonymously glaring at his husband.

"Goth, it's alright. Watch this." He turned to Reaper and kneeled down, squeezing his mouth open with one hand to reveal the shattered pasta bits in his mouth. "Spit." The first demand didn't do it for him, seeing that he kept the contents in his mouth with a confident head shake, causing the scarfed skeleton to let out a groan as he repeated himself. "Either you spit that shit out or so help me God I will divorce your ass." An empty threat, sure, but it got him to spit it out and raise his hands up to surrender. "Now, apologize to my son."

"But he's my son-"

"Apologize." Reaper rose to his feet, towering over the smaller as if to intimidate him, but found his glare hardening as he darted his single eyelight to his son. "Now." Goth curled into Geno's hold, whimpering quietly when he heard his mother use his angry tone.

"Hey, kiddo, it was just a joke. For April fools, bud." He showed off a bit of his athleticism by doing a backflip, Goth staring at him silently while tears streamed down his cheekbones. "See? No broken bones." He wiped those purple tracks away and pressed a small kiss to his temple. That disapproving glare his husband gave him told him that apology wasn't enough, half-assed at best. "I'm sorry, Gothy." He rubbed small circles into his back and held out his other arm. Goth leaned into his touch, Reaper grabbing hold of him, feeling his slam his little fist against his chest weakly.

"Y-You're really mean, d-daddy." Reaper chuckled at his claim, still rubbing his back softly to calm him down after hearing him whine at his laughter.

"I know, bud. I'm sorry. I won't do it again." A white lie, but Goth didn't need to know that. He just needed to console his child, not make matters worse and face Geno's motherly wrath.

"Why'd m-mommy marry you?" He listened to his father howl with laughter and faced him before looking over to his mother.

"Alright, that's enough." Geno came back over to the pair and held his arms out for Goth, who immediately went to him. "Come on, Goth, let's get you cleaned up. Daddy's treating us to dinner."

"R-Really?" Geno gave him an affirming nod and headed toward the bathroom, setting him on the sink. He pulled out a washcloth, running it under the faucet and wringing it dry before running it over his son's tear-stained face. "Can I get ice cream for dessert?" His voice was hopeful as he posed that simple question.

"I'm going to make sure your daddy buys you anything you want." He made sure to say that a few decibels louder than necessary, making sure that Reaper got the memo.

"Anything?" He giggles when Geno rubbed his affectionately before setting him on his little feet.

"Anything." He heard a quiet groan from the living room, signaling to him that he had heard his words, and began picking out a simple red tee and black skinny jeans from the fresh load. With Reaper's wallet in Goth's hands, this was bound to be an interesting dinner.


	13. Afterdeath: Jaag Soone Soone Laage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by: @i_am_that_person_

The clock chimes three times before allowing the house to return to its usual silence, only living for a moment when the sharp cries of a baby pierced through. Geno's sockets shot open and jolted upright in bed, finding himself alone in bed once again. He spared no time to think about his husband's whereabouts, heading out of bed to tend to his child's calling. He approached the crib, flipping on the soft white lamp, and couldn't help but smile when he saw his son's adorable little sockets squeeze shut before fluttering open to adjusting to the sudden light.

"Hi there, Gothy." He cooed quietly, holding his hand out to watch his tiny hands attempt at grabbing his. "You adorable little scamp. You hungry?" He let out a playful huff as he lifted him out of his crib and held him close, picking up the premade bottle off the dresser. As soon as it got close enough to his mouth, the infant latched on eagerly, Geno chuckling quietly as he watched his son try to drink it all in one go. "Slow down there, bud." Useless advice, but he gave it anyway, knowing he'd be up in another hour or so for a diaper change. He glanced over at their bed, messy, disheveled-

'Empty.' The last word echoed in his mind, finally letting it drift off and think about his husband. 'Is he running another late shift?' He'd have to wait until Goth was done eating before he could move to grab his phone from the nightstand. He either ate all in one go or had snakish cravings throughout the night, so, if he could avoid the latter, he'd do it. The newly appointed mother stared at the phone, hoping it'd light up to give him some sort of update. He was always worried that one day it won't be him coming home, it's one of the lieutenants with their hat off in respect. 'Where are you, hun-" Geno's thoughts came to an abrupt hold when he heard the lock downstairs click, his hold on Goth tense until he heard the familiar thump of his shoes echo throughout the quiet house. Goth picked the perfect time to finish up, Geno setting the bottle down before holding his baby close and burping him. There was a single knock on the bedroom door, softly creaking as Reaper opened it up.

"Sorry I'm late, sweetheart." He murmured, Geno giving a nod to acknowledge his apology was accepted. "Goth kept you up?"

"I just woke up." He kept his voice low to avoid having him stay awake longer. "I'll get you dinner once he falls-" Reaper didn't let him finish his offer, pressing a gentle kiss to his temple before stripping away his work button up.

"I had dinner at the station, so relax. You get your rest." He headed over to the closet to hang up his clothes and retire for the night. Geno gave a small pout at his words and watched him disappear into the bathroom. As sweet as it was for Reaper to not want him straining himself after giving birth, he hated having dinner by himself the first night he had done so. He wasn't going to tell Reaper he had been starving himself since lunch just so he could have meals with him when he came home. That little tidbit of information would only get him in trouble and have him start fretting over nothing. He heard Goth burp quietly, that little pout replaced with a momentary smile, now rubbing his back softly to get him to sleep again.

"What happened out there?"

"Some crackheads downtown were putting up a fight." He chuckled when recalling the fight they put up. "For a bunch of druggies, they can really pack a punch." Geno lied Goth back down in his crib, pressing a kiss to his forehead before heading over to Reaper's side.

"What'd yo- holy fuck, Reaper!" He saw the shatter marks branching from his socket, cradling the injured side of his face. "And you're calm about this? I almost didn't notice this until you said something!" A green light glowed dimly from the palm of his hand, covering the injured socket to give him temporary relief. "You gotta be careful, hun." He mumbled quietly, Reaper humming in affirmation.

"I will. I'm sorry, doc." He humored lightly, Geno snickering as he pulled his hand away, examining the now fine cracks trailing from his sockets. "How's it looking?"

"You're lucky I'm a good enough healer without any tools." He grumbled teasingly as he pressed a kiss against his healing socket. "Better stop by the hospital and get that legitimately fixed before someone decides to actually break that thick skull of yours."

"Don't worry, love. I'll definitely stop by. I promise." Geno beamed at his words and pushed him into bed, Reaper giving him a smug smirk before feeling a bit of disappointment nip at him when he lied down beside him. "You aren't-"

"It's only week three and you're already expecting me to ride you till tomorrow morning?" He laughed quietly at the sound of his whining. "Just give me another three to recover and I'll let you do whatever you want to me. Hell I'll do it myself~" Reaper was surprised to hear him purr, very uncharacteristic of his typically reserved husband, but he wasn't opposed to this new side of him.

"Anything, love?~" He cooed, wanting to hear him speak to him in a lewd manner if he couldn't have him perform accordingly. 

"Anything~" he traced meaningless shapes into his bare sternum as he thought about what else to say. "Maybe I'll even wear that little outfit you like so much~"

"Is that so?" Seeing him confirm it with a confident nod gave him yet another reason to wait for him. "The red one with the gems right," his hands trailed up his body slowly, resting right above his sternum and dragging a finger along the underside of his curved chest to indicate their placements, "here?~" 

"That one isn't revealing enough~" Reaper knew he was in for a treat if his husband decided to dress slutty on his own accord, already begging for the next three weeks to slip by so he could have his way with him. "I was thinking more along the lines of-" He intended on guiding Reaper's hands downward to give him sort of encouragement to wait a bit longer but had come to a dead halt when he heard Goth whine yet again. "Be right back, hun." He pressed a quick kiss to his cheekbone before heading out the room with Goth in his arms, gently bouncing him in hopes of calming him down. "I told you it'd go right through you." He scolded teasingly, nuzzling his chest to hear his little giggles break up his whining. Geno slipped on a fresh diaper, Goth quieting down almost immediately and stretching up to be in his mother's hold again. Once in his arms, he grabbed at Geno's shirt, which earned him a playful glare from his mother. "You're your daddy's boy alright." He chuckled. A soft red hue dusted his cheekbones as he pulled his shirt up, willing his magic to satisfy his son's sudden craving. As much as he wanted to have the bottled formula satisfy the snakish side of his son's hunger, he knew it wouldn't do much to help strengthen his systems. He spared a glance over at Reaper, seeing that he busied himself with his phone. "Whatcha up to?"

"Just messaging a friend that just got to his shift," he looked over at Geno with a goofy smile, "I left my office unlocked so I'm asking him to lock it up for me." Geno rolled his eyelight at his husband's forgetfulness only to see him shrug it off. "Hey. If it doesn't have anything to do with the love of my life or my son, I'm not going to remember it very well." He tossed his phone aside and focused solely on his son. "Hey Goth, buddy, save me some, will ya?" Geno sent a mocked glare his way when he heard his comment. Goth had fallen asleep while feeding, which gave Geno the few seconds he had to put him back into the crib without detection. "Now, come back to bed. I'm bored." Reaper's pouting face only earned him a soft laugh from Geno, shaking his head jokingly at the sight.

"Alright, alright. Calm your ass down, I'm coming." He stripped his shirt away, leaving him in his undershirt and shorts, before crawling into bed, sidling up beside him as he yawned. "I'll see you in the morning." His sockets struggled to remain open as he clung to Reaper.

Morning rolled around all too quickly, even more so since Reaper had to report for work by seven. As much as Geno wanted to put up a fight and complain about how he was never home, he knew his husband's job was an important one and released his hold on him. He watched as he got dressed, simply throwing the shirt on before he began fiddling with his work pants. Reaper spared a glance in the mirror to find his husband sitting up and watching his movements carefully, a quiet chuckle leaning him as he gestured to him through the reflection.

"Mind helping me with the buttons, hun?" That seemed to perk him up right away, finding it surprising considering he wasn't much of a morning person and found him by his side at a moment's notice. He started at the top, matching the button with its proper side and moving downward. Once he reached the bottom few buttons, ones that didn't matter as much seeing that they would be tucked into his shirt, he sent a knowing glance his way, feeling Reaper's magic start to take form at his implication. "Is this another tease, love, or are you actually going to uphold your promise?~" He cooed, getting more excited when he heard the zipper to his pants come undone.

"If this is a tease, it's going to be hell for you to hide it for a whole day~" Geno hummed, "It's the least I can do since you're being so patient with my recovery~" It didn't take Geno long to handle the police officer's little 'issue' from earlier and was pleased to find Reaper's eyelights dazed and a happy smile on his face, his efforts being rewarded with a loving kiss. "I'll get breakfast ready for you." He headed downstairs after checking up on Goth, leaving him with Reaper since he was still asleep.

Reaper came down with Goth in his arms, gently rocking the infant to keep his cries at bay, and set him in his little bouncer before moving over to Geno's side, wrapping his arms around his waist as he watched him dish out a plate for him.

"Looks delicious, love. You're not going to have any?" He asked when he took note of the lack of a second plate. Geno cupped his face, craning his neck slightly to press a gentle kiss to his cheekbone.

"You're going to fill me up good. I've gotta save some room for that." Reaper loved hearing his husband talk to him like this, leaving his mind to conjure up several different scenarios for what is to come when his requested two weeks are over.

"You can't keep teasing me like this, love. You might just make me desperate enough to find something else to replace you~" His husky voice was doing wonders for the smaller skeleton, wanting to just throw away his doctor's suggestion of waiting in favor of easing up the sexual tension between the two. He needed him now, even if it meant that he wouldn't get the same rough handling that he desired. He thought nothing of what the thing might be and only focused on Reaper for the short amount of time that Goth remained silent.

"I'm not teasing this time, hun. Come home from work and I'll have a surprise for you~" He hummed quietly as he reached up to give his husband a quick peck and handed him a plate of eggs. "Now, quit fantasizing, you perv, and eat your eggs."

"Babe, I wasn't even-"

"Oh please. That blue on your face isn't there for nothing. Hurry up and eat before you go running off again." Reaper could only laugh as he took his plate and headed over to where Goth was situated, his smirk fading into a loving smile as he watched his three-week-old cooed at him, reaching out for him.

"Aww, you're too damn cute, Gothy." He hoisted him out of the bouncer and held him in his arms, snagging a few bites every now and then. "We make the cutest babies." He looked to Geno with a sly smile. "We should have another. Whaddya say, babe? Think Gothy deserves a brother?"

"I literally gave birth three weeks ago and am risking tearing my magic apart just to reward you tonight. I'm not having another until Goth's two, at most."

"So there's no least-" Reaper didn't get to finish hitting on that technicality since Geno had butted in when he got the general idea of where he was headed with it.

"You're wearing that damn condom tonight otherwise I'm forcing you to wait out those six weeks," Hearing his husband's laughs made him roll his eye, "asshole."

"Oh ho~ so that's where I'm putting it?~" Geno face lit up a vibrant red, hitting him square in the face with the dishrag he held in his hands.

"Fuckin' no!" Reaper simply laughed at his husband's sudden outburst, getting up from his seat to hand Goth over to him.

"I'm joking, babe. See you tonight~" He ended with a low growl, that pissed-off expression the smaller wore replaced with a flustered expression as he took their baby from his hands.

"See ya." He watched him pull the keys off the hook and grab his badge off the counter, Reaper almost at the door when Geno called to him suddenly, a smile on the smaller's face when he saw that he had his attention immediately. "Stay safe, alright?"

"I promised that I'd always come back to you in one piece and nothing's going to stop me from breaking that, love." He tipped his hat once he finished his sentence, pleased with the giggle that left his beloved's mouth and left for work.  
Geno turned to the infant in his hands, chuckling at the sight of him grab at his scarf with intrigue.

"Alright, Gothy. Let's go get some of mommy's chores done." The glitching skeleton awed when his son started to babble excitedly at his words. For a kid who was new to everything, running errands sounded like fun. "I hear ya, Goth. Let's get you dressed so everyone sees how cute my baby boy is." He boasted to himself, carrying him back upstairs to dress him into the cute white onesie with little black skulls dotting the entirety of the outfit. He didn't care too much about how he looked, knowing the only one who still somehow found him beautiful was the only one that could truly convince him to dress up for small errands.

The trip to the grocery store was a short one, a quick run since he had a list to follow and wasn't just roaming around cluelessly. Though he hadn't written it on the list, he made sure to grab a pack of contraceptives, unable to trust his husband with the task after hearing the suggestive comment he made during breakfast. After getting the groceries loaded into the trunk and Goth buckled into his car seat, he took off, taking the route home that allowed him to pass by the station Reaper was working at, hoping to snag a glance of his husband on duty. If he was lucky, he could catch him in action, from handcuffing someone to simply writing someone a ticket. He came to a stop at the red light, looking back to see Goth fiddling with a red scarf, and froze when he saw Reaper stepping out of a nearby coffee shop with an arm around some woman. The scarfed skeleton turned back quickly, his good eye darting to the signal, wanting to convince himself that he might've been seeing things, that it was another skeleton holding that woman close and laughing with her. Dread pooled in his stomach the longer the light stayed red, making it impossible to dismiss that familiar face from his mind. He snapped, giving in to the dangerous curiosity that pooled inside him, and shifted the rearview mirror, that very couple now in his line of sight completely. His sockets widened, the white pinprick vanishing when he saw them share a kiss before the skeleton, before Reaper, waved to her and got into the vehicle marked for constables. The honking brought his focus back to the street light, Geno letting out a quiet gasp and flooring it, his car took off as soon as the light turned yellow. If it wasn't for Goth's whining, he probably would've continued to drive as fast as he did. He finally let go of the accelerator and pulled into the driveway, hurriedly putting his car in park and resting his head against the steering wheel. Thoughts went back to the woman Reaper had his arms around, the exact same way he would always hold him. Those 'lips' that he thought were reserved for him and him alone kissed another as if they were made for her. He didn't realize he started to cry until he felt a drip on his femur, inhaling sharply and practically slapping the tears off himself when he heard his baby's cries. "Pull yourself together, Geno." He muttered to himself as he stepped out of the car, circling around to grab his poor little baby, probably scared that he drove so quickly. "He might not need you, but Goth needs you." The scarfed skeleton unbuckled his son from the car seat, cradling him close while humming a soft tune. He didn't want to believe it. They had been happily dating for so long, almost a year into their marriage. He couldn't find any rhyme or reason on why he'd throw the commitment and love he gave him away. He took Goth inside, setting him in his high chair and buckling him up before heading right back outside to unload the groceries. Any other day, he would've started on lunch, but he had more pressing matters to tend to. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he scrolled through his contacts and stopped immediately at the name, hitting the call button and waiting patiently for the other to tend to it, luckily the wait time wasn't too long.

"Geno, everything-"

"Ink, you owe me a favor. Now, tell me. When did Reaper's shift end last night?"

After a five-minute-long conversation with his soon-to-be brother-in-law, he hung up the phone, a blank look on his face and his socket void of any life. He stood up from where he was seated and threw his phone against the wall in frustration, needing to get rid of the pent-up frustration before he tended to his crying son.

"His shift ended at seven yesterday..." he grumbled to himself, that time contradicting the time he actually showed up. There was no hold-up, no fight with any crackheads. No one at the station having any records of said encounter. He needed to cross-check his information, needing several sources before he could confront him. "Sorry, baby. Momma's stressed out right now." He hummed, trying his best to stay calm for his baby. He walked over to where he threw his phone, picking it up and failing to find any cracks on the screen, and took a seat on the couch, gently cradling Goth close as he called another one of Reaper's close friends. A few minutes flew by and he hung up the phone, dropping it to his side to focus solely on Goth, his newborn son being the only thing grounding him. Asking G had gone the same way asking Ink had, both saying that Reaper was clocked out by seven and that they saw him head home. He set his phone aside and gently held Goth against his chest, patting and rubbing his back soothingly as if that'd help him cope with the news he pieced together. His son's tiny yawn caught his attention, carrying the tired-out boy to the nursery he had built downstairs and lay him down on the crib, making sure there was nothing in his way that'd harm him while he was away. Geno headed into the living room once more and picked up his phone to check the time. It was barely even three o'clock and he knew his husband wasn't due back until another twelve hours, maybe even surprise him by showing up sooner than that. He propped his arm up and leaned his head into his palm, watching the minutes tick on by as he felt his consciousness slip from him, finally giving in to the exhaustion by the third time he failed to jerk back up.

Geno's sockets shot open when he heard the lock click, his line of focus on the clock to check when his husband was returning. Three in the morning, just as he expected. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked to the door, watching it open slowly to avoid any loud creaks. Reaper crept in, closing the door behind him carefully, and turned, inhaling sharply when he saw his clearly upset husband sitting on the couch staring right at him.

"Hey love, sorry. Another late shift had me caught up at the station." Geno chuckled weakly at the simple lie he told, feeling his soul crumble at the confident look on his face. Of course, he'd be cocky about it. He had pulled this lie on him many times and it's worked, why wouldn't it work now?

"When?" Geno asked simply, glaring him down as he waited for his answer.

"When what, Gen?" The smaller scoffed at his question and at the affectionate nickname, rolling his eyelight at his feigned cluelessness.

"When did you fall out of love?" He reiterated. His voice was a spine-chilling calm, no anger or sadness lacing it. It was dull, unimpressed, more disappointed than anything else.  
Reaper, on the other hand, started to panic, trying to figure out either who told him, if he saw, or what his husband was hinting at. Maybe the very late arrivals and little time he spent with the family are what's annoying him, the smaller wanting nothing more than to fix that little issue. The police officer found that it was nothing a little fibbing couldn't fix. 

"I never-"

"Don't you dare lie to me." Geno grumbled, casting his glare aside. He didn't even want to look his way, knowing the next part of this conversation would be easily persuaded by his saddened expression. "If you didn't, then you wouldn't have done this." Reaper stayed silent, knowing exactly what he was talking about. He wasn't careful and Geno saw him. Explaining why he did it would only make matters worse and playing it off as if Geno was the one who was mistaken would put an end to his life. "So when did you fall out of love with me?" He asked again with the full intention of hearing a proper answer instead of whatever sappy bull he was ready to spew to him.

"Geno, I promise I still do. I love you with all my soul." Geno kept his gaze locked on the carpet, not wanting to see his face. He knew what expression he was pulling just by the sound of his voice and, even after everything he learned about him today, it still tore him apart from that he was responsible for it. "You were my first, the love of my life, the mother to my child." The glitchy skeleton screwed his sockets shut as if that'd help block out his begging and keep him from altering his firm decision. "I do love you, I love you very much."

"You did..."

Now it was Reaper who felt his soul stop, looking to the smaller with broken eyelights, desperately hoping that he'd change his mind and come back to him, knowing that he couldn't live without him. "No, baby. You got it all wrong. I still-"

"Just stop it." Geno heard him take a step closer and held his hand up, no longer hearing him advance towards him, and finally looked his way, keeping his stern gaze. "Don't you fucking dare come any damn closer." Reaper froze and dropped his own gaze in hopes of appeasing his husband's rightful anger. "I want you to get the hell out of my face, I don't want you to be a part of my damn life, and I sure as hell forget everything we had."

"But Goth, he-" hearing his son's name in an argument like this one pissed him off entirely, Geno jumping to his feet and grabbed a tight hold of his collar, twisting it harshly with the intention of inflicting some pain on him.

"Don't you fucking dare use him as a reason to stay! If you were this damn worried about him growing up without a father, you wouldn't have pulled this shit!" He saw the hurt look in his eyelights and felt tears well up in his own. "I gave you everything without expecting anything in return!" He cried out as he shoved him back, tears cascading his cheekbones as his aching soul took control of his words. "I only asked for a few weeks to recover, even risked that for you, and I find that you can't keep your horny ass calm for even that long!" He hated thinking about it. Just speaking of it bringing back that unwanted memory and it only increased the pain he felt. "Get out."

"But-"

"Get the fuck out!" He demanded with a harsh shove towards the door. "Just leave me the fuck alone!"

Geno didn't know what hurt more: his husband's upset expression or the fact that he respected his wish and walked out without another word. Once the officer left the house, Geno's energy left him all at once, his knees giving in and leading to him collapsing in the middle of their living room. Shaky sobs left the smaller as he tried to cope with it all, pounding his fist into the carpet time and time again in attempts to calm himself. Then everything stopped. Geno's head perked up at the sound of his son crying. He took a few quivering breaths and gathered himself, knowing that his son needed him now more than ever.

"Y-You'll get your time to cry, Geno. Right now, Goth needs you." He repeated that to himself as he made his way to the nursery, leaning over the crib and finally feeling a smile tug at his lips at the sight of his son aweing at him. "Don't worry, my little angel." He cooed quietly, hoisting the infant into his arms. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He pressed a faint kiss to his cheek, carrying him over to the rocking chair to help coax him back to sleep. "I promise to do everything I can to keep you happy."


	14. Afterdeath: You had your chance...

Geno leaned over and gently blew raspberries onto his baby's stomach, feeling all his worries slip away any time Goth squealed with delight. He pulled back a few inches, making a show of committing to blowing yet another when he flew right back in, this time nuzzling into his son's tiny stomach and hearing his laughter drown out the furious pacing Error was doing in the living room.

"So, let me get this straight," Geno turned his attention to his younger brother, hoisting Goth into his arms as soon as he let out a small whine, probably very upset that his playtime had gotten cut so short, "You found out last week that Reaper, the guy you basically threw your whole life away for, married, had a kid with, cheated on you for god knows how long and you're not filing a divorce against him?" Geno gave a small nod before returning to caring for his son, gently rubbing his back as he whined about not being able to play. "Gen, you're insane. Just get it filed and cut him out of your life."

It wasn't like he hadn't thought about going through with a divorce. It's occurred to him a few times since the day he found out but never gave it too much thought. He felt that it wasn't the time for it, pushing it off to be dealt with later, at least not when Goth was up and about.

"I don't think I can, Error, not right now." He could feel the incredulous look his brother was giving him and did his best to pay him no mind.

"Geno, you gotta be kidding."

"Error, please." Geno's tone finalized his decision, looking to his younger brother with a stern yet pleading face. "I'll talk to him about what we should do when I feel the time's right. Right now, I can't even stand to look at him." Had Goth not been in his arms, his hands would've been clenched into a tight fist and slammed against the couch cushions as an attempt to let go of the tension winding up his soul. "All I see is that fucking home-wrecking whore-"

"How do you know it's her fault?" Geno's gaze darted to his brother a dangerous red and blue glow coming from his one good eye socket as if daring him to repeat himself.

"Then why the ever-living fuck would he wear our wedding ring on his finger? That dumb whore knew and she still-"

"He didn't even have the decency to hide the fact that he was married while having an affair? And you still want to stay with him?"

"N-No!"

"Then just file it and leave him to rot!"

The brothers went back and forth on the matter, Error trying to understand why his older brother was shying away from the seemingly right option. It wasn't until Goth yawned did Geno drop the arguing, Error taking this as a sign of him giving in to his reasons until he heard him speak up.

"Goth's getting tired, leave."

Error groaned in annoyance at the weak excuse. "Gen, you can't keep-"

"Error, leave." He reiterated with a sharp hiss, lying Goth down behind the couch cushion barricade as he rose to his feet, more than ready to see Error out.

"Geno, you can't keep bottling this up."

"Yes, I fucking can! Who told you to stick your nose in my damn business anyway? All I asked for was someone to talk to, not some debate on how I should be living my life! Why don't you act your damn age for once?!"

"I am! In case you have forgotten, I'm fuckin three years younger than you!" Though he had been trying his hardest to keep his anger in check, his brother's indecisiveness on the matter was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"Exactly! You're still younger than me, so please, for the love of God, listen to me and leave me alone!" Error didn't say a word, forcing back any sort of rebuttal that burned at the tips of his tongues, and snatched up his jacket from the coffee table while glaring at his brother.

"Fine. I'll leave, but don't say I didn't try to help you." With that, the black-boned skeleton left his home, the older annoyed with how he had slammed the door on his way out.

"It's my life. I call the shots." He muttered to himself, assuring him that filing the divorce was going to be his decision even if Error had strongly supported the divorce. "Second opinion. I need-" that's when he remembered his youngest brother. "Fresh..." he murmured quietly, softly rubbing Goth's back after grabbing the car keys off the table. "I'm gonna ask Fresh." The fact that his youngest brother lacks the emotions to provide the comfort and understanding Geno craved slipped his mind, preoccupied with preparing for the sudden drive.

He stepped out of his home and buckled Goth into his car seat after making sure he was fast asleep, circling around to the driver's side and starting the car up. Where his youngest sibling lived now was just outside of the city limits, having put the plot of land he purchased to good use and taking an interest in agriculture as a pass time since booking tickets came in seasons. He came across the familiar gates, their family's last name made into a crest that the center of the gate adorned. He punched in the code and watched as the black iron gates creaked open, driving along the curved path and coming to a stop right at the front porch. He stepped out of the car and gave his younger brother a small smile and a wave, watching him rush down the few steps before tackling him in a hug, laughing as Geno returned the gesture.

"And here I thought you forgot about me after the fight." Geno was astounded by the lack of outlandish vocabulary, looking to his brother in playful suspicion.

"What happened to the Fresh I knew?" He asked.

"Grew up. Hopefully, Error doesn't find a problem with that either." He answered with a laugh. "I've got wifi out here, finally. So I might just have to shut down both offices in the city and move it strictly to the website. That way I'm only commuting to the houses my clients want to see. Oh, I also got my realtor's license." Fresh quickly filled his brother in on all he got up to before turning the conversation around. "How have things been on your end?" He asked as he followed Geno to the car, pleasantly surprised by the infant being unbuckled from the car seat. "And who's this little guy?" Geno laughed at the reaction the glasses depicted.

"Gothy, say hi to Uncle Fresh.' The glitched skeleton cooed, looking to Fresh with a smile. "Wanna hold him? I gotta grab his bag."

"I'd be more comfortable holding him on a couch so I don't mess up and drop him." He chuckled, reaching into the back seat and grabbing the aforementioned bag. "I got the car and his bag. You go on ahead." Geno held his baby close and headed up the steps, standing in front of the door when Fresh came running up the steps. He grabbed hold of the screen door and nodded toward his oldest brother, Geno snickering as he took a step inside. The scarfed skeleton was in awe at the house Fresh resided in, enjoying the way the staircase curved to create a banister that oversaw both the foyer and living room.

"Living room's just up this way bro." Geno followed the colorful skeleton inside, starting up a fire in the iron-gated fireplace. "What do you think of the place?" He asked as he leaned away from the fire, enjoying its warm glow before sitting beside him.

"You really did hit on all my favorite stuff in a house." He answered with a soft chuckle, holding Goth out so Fresh could hold his nephew since the couch gave him peace of mind. "Sorry I never came out to see you sooner."

"Aw Gen, you don't gotta apologize. You were pregnant anyway. I wasn't about to hold that against ya." He blew off the apology with an overdramatic raspberry, his glasses revealing exclamation points when that sound earned him a hearty giggle from the baby. With such a positive reaction, he did it again, listening to more of his pure-hearted giggles bubble out. "Kid's name's Gothy?"

Geno shook his head, "nah. It's a little nickname I gave him. His name's Goth."

"So nice to finally meet ya, Goth." Fresh cooed, smile worked its way onto his face when he listened to him babble in response. "Reaper busy with work?" He asked offhandedly as he leaned back into the couch, holding Goth against his chest only to see that his newfound interest was the glasses he wore. When he heard no response, he glanced over to find his older brother tensed and lost in thought. Fresh maintained his lax posture, taking off the glasses to let Goth inspect them, and reached over to rest the hand that wasn't supporting Goth on the white-clad skeleton's shoulder, getting the expected flinch as he faced him. Only then did he notice the tears pooling at the edge of his socket, the sad expression only drawing more concern from the younger of the two. "Gen, what happened? Why are you crying?"

"I-I'm tired, Fresh." He mumbled, Fresh opening his mouth to suggest he take a few hours to rest while he watched over Goth before closing it to hear his brother out. The silence caused the figurative bottle he shoved all his sadness into shatter, tears falling freely as he started talking. "I haven't slept right for almost two weeks now and it's not because of Goth. I just feel like I'm failing, that anything I do has no positive incentive." He started, wiping the tears that cascaded down his face only to find its replacements weren't too far behind. "Not only did I fail as a husband, but I'm also failing at being a mom, a brother, a decent monster, and-"

"Gen, bro, hold on a sec. Who said you were failing as a husband? Reaper-"

"H-He cheated, Fresh." He interjected with a shaky confession.

"What?" He asked coldly, multiple thoughts running through his head as he tried to process the information the best he could.

"H-He cheated on me," he reiterated, his tone broken as his posture went slack as if the very life that was in him left him the moment he confessed to it, "it's how I know I failed. I couldn't keep him happy."

"No, Gen, no. This ain't you, bro. None of this is on you." He gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze, much like how he would've whenever he comforted him in the past. "This whole thing's on him. I've seen how you are around him, so you have no reason to feel like this."

"Then why did his eyes wander?" He asked, genuinely curious about how he could explain that. "I must've done something that made him see my true worth-"

"Dangnamit Gen. That's his fault. He was supposed to stay loyal-"

"Stay loyal if I gave him a reason to." He finished dejectedly. "I must've not given him any."

Fresh sighed and shut his sockets, pinching his nasal bone before his eyes shot open at the sound of Goth's bubbly laughter. He looked the infant over before facing Geno completely.

"If you're such a failure, why didn't my adorbs nephew bite the dust?" He saw how his head shot up at the horrible statement, ill-aware of what his younger brother was insinuating. "Why didn't we, Geno? You pretty much raised us, so tell me. Why aren't we dead?" More of his older brother's stunned silence gave him a reason to believe that he had no answer to his questions, allowing Fresh to move forward and give him a hug as best as he could without jostling the baby lying in his lap. "You're not a failure, Gen. You're the best bro anyone could ask for and gonna be a tots incredible mom, so what he did doesn't make you a bad husband."

"You really think so?"

"I know so, bro. Here," he hands Goth back to his mother, a smile on Geno's face as he watched his son's eyelight twinkle in recognition, "I'll go pack a bag for myself. I'm staying with ya until you feel like yo radical self again. How many days you got off from work?"

"'For maternity leave, about a week left. Sick days? I've got about six months I could cash in." The older skeleton chuckled when he saw his younger brother's head poke back in.

"Say what now?"

"Yeah. I never used any sick days, so they just kind of added up over the years." He admitted with a laugh.

"You trying to blow it off all in one go?" Geno shook his head, holding his baby close so he could playfully pat his face to hear him gurgle happily.

"I was thinking about it, but a long-term sub would not only put my students behind, but they'd also worry over nothing. I was thinking about spending the week showing you what you gotta do to take care of Goth, and then going back to work."

"A'ight." Fresh zipped up his backpack as he threw it over his shoulder, looking to his brother with a smile. "Let's dip. We got a long drive back."

Geno went ahead and got back into the car, buckling his son back into his car seat and heading over to the driver's seat, seeing that Fresh went ahead and took a seat in the back so he could marvel at his nephew some more.

The drive back home was an entertaining one, the heavyweight in the smaller's chest vanishing as he listened to his son coo and babble with his uncle, Fresh being no better and responding with similar noises or astonished reactions. Upon arrival, Fresh took hold of Goth, feeling a bit more comfortable about carrying his brother's kid. Geno pulled out his phone and wrote up an email for his class, informing them of the safe delivery and that he was fulfilling his promise of pictures as well as tagging in the date of his return and where he was expecting to pick the class up from. Once he hit send on that, he turned his attention to his son, watching him happily play with Fresh. His brother's involvement gave him more than enough time to start cooking up lunch and tending to the house more, deeming it a good enough pass time so that he wouldn't let his lingering thoughts get to him.

Day after day, Fresh seemed to get better and better at handling Goth, treating his nephew as his own son and doting over the kid as best as he could. This gave Geno ample time to consider what Error was pushing him to do, wondering if it was the right course of action. Half of him was more than ready to cut off all ties with him while the other wanted nothing more than to sit the taller down and work it out with him. As much as he hated to admit it, he became dependent on his love, the feeling of being able to do anything he set his mind to diminishing because he didn't have the loving support he did before. It wasn't until he stayed awake for far too long did he finally take his future into consideration, settling on the right decision soon after that realization hit. That's when he got up and started filling out paperwork, his mind forcing him to keep going simply because he thought he was doing what was best for Goth. A few days passed as he kept this project of his a secret, the day of the hearing finally arriving. When that morning rolled around, he wasn't surprised to find Fresh already up helping himself to some breakfast. Geno took a seat at the table, sitting Goth down on the table to feel him rest his hands on his cheekbones, giggling happily as he started memorizing the features that would help him recognize his mother.

"I'm going to do it." Fresh looked up from the breakfast platter he made for himself to his brother, cocking his head as he waited for him to expand on what his decision was affecting. "I thought about it and I'm going to file the divorce."

"If that's what you finna do, Gen, then I'm all for it. I got ya back." He reminded, returning his attention to the frying pan to remove the now finished scrambled eggs.

"I got the forms filled out and the date set in a few days back and debated whether I should follow up on it or not." He confessed as a plate full of food was set next to Goth. "Mind watching him while I make a call?"

"I got you." He waved his brother off as he hoisted Goth off the table, chuckling at his nephew's adorable laughter as he sat down in front of his plate, setting Goth in his lap so he ate without worrying about the baby tumbling off the table. He dipped a finger into the juice and rubbed it along the infant's gums, now watching him make grabby hands towards the glass that contained the yummy liquid.

Geno took a deep breath and unblocked Reaper's number, suddenly getting flooded with messages, missed calls, and voicemails that had been held back. He had about a hundred messages, fourteen calls, and voicemails all from him. With his made-up mind, he tapped on the conversation to see what kind of pathetic begging he sent in sheer desperation to get him to reconsider their split but was met with something he didn't expect. Instead of the desperate pleads to let him back in, they were just simple messages updating him on what he had been doing throughout the day, reminding him of how many times he thought of him and how he was the center of his world. He blew it off with a scoff, knowing damn well he could've asked just about anybody to send that to him, and decided to check out the voicemails. He tapped on the more recent one to assess whether hearing the rest would even be worth it, but stilled at the sound of his gruff voice, his soul beating a mile a minute as he asked him how his day had been. Then it shattered at the sound of his sniffle, frozen as he listened to the message play out.

"I just... I haven't talked to you for about two weeks now. I... I miss the sound of your voice." Another sniffle broke up his sentence, Geno screwing his eyes shut as if it'd help make him deaf to who used to be his everything. "Y-You know, with this time apart, I-" a choked sob left the speakers, a string of coughs following in attempts to cover that up, "Sorry, I got sick, heh." Geno let out a muted sigh of his own. Though he had made his decision and built strong walls to keep him from backing down from it, the very foundation of those metaphorical defenses shook at the sound of such a pitiful lie. "I-I realize I never said I love you. I-If this is my last chance to speak to you, I'm going to say it. I-I love you. I love you so much. I have and will always love you. And I want to tell you that I'm an idiot. I'm a complete ass for losing sight of your love and taking all the happiness and love you gave me for granted. And that I'm sorry. I-I'm sorry I messed up the one beautiful thing I had... I-" the recording ended there, Geno jolting back when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder and another cradle his face in attempts to wipe the tears.

"Bro, you doin' a'ight? Who was it?" Fresh asked curiously, Geno shaking his head as he scrolled through his contacts.

"W-Wrong number. Poor guy was trying to reach out to his kid and I got emotional." Geno laughed, wiping his tears away with a forced smile. "I've gotta call Reaper and tell him to meet me in court so we can discuss custody and child support." His soul was crushed to hear those words leave his mouth, but he felt as though he had no choice, that this was the only way out even if that tear-jerking voicemail might've caused him to reconsider. He stepped out onto the patio, leaning on the railing as he took a deep breath, staring at the number he used to find endless joy in reciting that now brought him nothing but pain. It was all in the past now. He couldn't think about going back, worried that it could happen again when Goth gets much older and able to refuse to meet up with his father. The smaller didn't want that, even if it did sound like the best option in the heat of the moment. He tapped on the number and lifted it to where his ear would be, the first ring not even finishing when the call was answered. "R-Reaper?" He cautiously called out, hearing nothing but static in return. "Reaper, it's me. Are you there?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm here."

"Still sick?" He asked as he forced his voice to remain monotoned, hearing him inhale a small breath sharply.

"You... you heard my message?"

"Yeah. Now meet me in Stephen's office downtown so we can get this paperwork signed and settle the matter of custody over Goth." He didn't miss the sound of the wind being knocked out of him, keeping it together so he could get through it once and for all. "I'll send you the address. The hearing's at eleven, so please show up on time."

"Alright," Reaper confirmed dejectedly. Geno opened his mouth, wanting to assure Reaper that he wouldn't let him get the butt end of the deal, but heard the click, pulling his phone away to find his blank lock screen staring back at him. He tapped on the message icon and sent the address, grabbing hold of Goth as he looked to Fresh expectantly.

"Dippin' time?" A solemn nod confirmed it and the brothers headed out towards his car, Fresh offering to drive while Geno sat with his nephew. The oldest brother took up that offer with a smile, heading towards the back as he buckled Goth in, sitting beside the eight-month-old and playfully tickling his sock-covered feet. The drive there didn't take long, Geno wrapped up in what he was going to say to both his lawyer and his soon-to-be ex-husband. If he blamed infidelity, they would ask for proof, which Geno didn't have in his possession. It pained him to consider lying, saying that they drifted apart over the few years they had been together even though his soul yearned for him to this day, but there was no other way. He felt that it was the only way to do it. To file the divorce, to get over him, to move on.

"Yo Gen just pulled up."

"Got it." He turned to his happy little boy and hoisted him into his arms, kissing his cheek bountiful times before sliding out of the car and kicking the door shut behind him. Another car pulled up beside theirs, the driver-side door opening up. He hated how his soul managed to still skip a beat at the sight of his husband's signature hoodie, averting his gaze and heading inside to avoid any possible second thoughts he might have.

Reaper barely missed seeing the scowl on his husband's face, his soul yearning for his return and hoping that he could still be forgiven. Though the sight of the courtroom served well in stomping that possibility out of his mind, standing before the judge and watching his words fall onto deaf ears. Instead of listening to them confirm Geno's paperwork and the ones he's had to sign, he was lost in old memories. They took his mind back to their wedding, how Geno and he had danced the night away even after the reception under the stars in their backyard before retiring in the hammock, gently rocking as they gazed up into the night sky without a care in the world. The timeline seemed to go on, showing the depressed cop the countless times Geno proved his devotion to him and sent him off to protect the people with a kiss and a smile. Then came the night he asked for one thing, now realizing it was the only time he had asked for anything from him besides the usual affections he showered him in out of pure instinct, a child of their own. Months of hard work flew by before he found himself standing in a hospital room with his hand squeezed tightly by his husband as he did his best to bring their son into the world, suddenly brought back to the courtroom by the sound of a child's wails. He looked over and found Geno softly hushing their child, cradling him close and letting him hear the firm beats of his soul, in turn calming the baby down as he nuzzled into his hold.

"Reaper, you have as much right as Geno does to see your son. If you wish to change the schedule-"

"It's fine. I'll take what Geno settled on, your honor."

"Are you sure? You will only get the weekends, as per your agreement."

"Geno knows what's best for the kid better than I ever could. If he says that the weekends are mine, then I'll take it." Reaper reiterated firmly, dropping his gaze to the table before him as he thought about all that he gave up in exchange for a semi-decent one nightstand.

"I don't need him paying child support either," Geno raised the petition for that decision and handed it to his lawyer. "I make enough as a high school teacher and don't really need the extra support."

To Reaper, it sounded as though he was cutting off all ties with him, trying to avoid any and all interactions he could have, giving him a big enough hint to know that this was a permanent fix. He was never going to be able to apologize and the forgiveness he was hoping for was a lost cause. The officer zoned out once again, now wondering what the hell he was going to do with his life. There was nothing left for him. With the strike of the gavel, the court was dismissed, Reaper being the first to get up and book it to his car.

With the case drawn to an end, Geno felt the weight in his chest grow heavier, the complete opposite of what he was hoping would happen after making the decision, and watched as Reaper stormed out, not even giving him the time of day to talk about this. Geno went to follow him, to stop him and explain himself but felt a hand on his shoulder ground his action to a halt.

" 'ey bro, great job out there." The oldest of the two gave a small nod as they made their way back to their car, the smaller catching sight of Reaper hunched over his steering wheel and appearing as if he was mourning.

"Thanks..." Though he had assumed that this would be the first step to getting over the incident, 

why didn't it feel that way?


	15. Afterdeath: ...but maybe a second is needed

A few nights after the decision had been verified in court, Geno struggled in terms of putting Goth to bed, both him and Fresh doing their best to soothe the irritated infant. 

“Ya sure he ain’t hungry, Gen?” 

“I tried feeding him, but he won’t. His diapers are clean and he’s not running a fever or anything,” Geno was beyond worried, trying anything and everything to calm Goth down. He normally ate around this time and that’s when his mistake dawned upon him. 

Reaper was always here when it was time for him to eat. Fresh managed to fill that place up until he realized that the person who stood there wasn’t his father. Geno grabbed his phone off the dressing table and called Reaper, close to tears as he listened to Goth’s crying get more strained. 

“Shh, baby, shh…” he mumbled as he heard the call go through, hoping that he’d pick up as quickly as he could. 

Reaper returned to the hotel room, tossing his keys onto the nightstand before heading out to the balcony, looking down onto the concrete that seemed to be calling his name while wallowing in his own depression. No matter what time of day it was, he continued to think about what his life had come to. Just two weeks ago he was living his best life. He had married his high school sweetheart, who was now the mother to their beautiful son and made the final payments to the house. And what did he do? Throw it all away for a few nights of a decent lay. He remained curled up on his couch as the day slipped away, listening to the clock continue to mock him with every tick. It wasn’t until his phone rang did he realize how much time had truly passed. He answered instantly, his soul stilling at the sound of his son’s crying. 

“Reaper. Get over here please.” 

“I’m on my way.” He was quick to move, clambering out of the hotel room and hurrying down to where he had parked his car. The officer didn’t think about anything while driving, Goth’s cries echoing in his mind as he approached his old home. He headed up to the door, close to knocking when the door flung open to reveal both Geno and a crying Goth. “What happened?” 

“He wouldn’t stop crying,” Geno admitted, Reaper holding his hands out only to watch Geno place him in his arms, “he’s got no fever or anything, but he won’t stop crying.” 

“Is he hungry?” Geno nodded, “then what’s wrong? Why isn’t he eating?” 

“He won’t eat without you…” 

Reaper let out a quiet sigh and looked at the baby in his arms, “what are we going to do with ya?” he teased, listening to his cries quiet down to mere whimpers as the taller continued to coo some nonsensical words. Geno followed Reaper back over to the couch, Fresh giving the two a moment of privacy once he saw Geno fiddle with the buttons of his shirt. Reaper handed Goth back over to Geno once it was unbuttoned, listening to his whimpers only to direct an over-exaggerated stern glare at the boy. 

“Ah-ah,” he huffed playfully, earning his precious giggles as he looked to his mother now, grabbing at his shirt to get what he wanted. 

As Geno predicted, Goth immediately latched on and looked to his father, Reaper softly rubbing the back of his head as he drank up. 

“You’re going to grow up big and strong, beautiful just like your momma.” He cooed softly, hearing his cute little grunts and heavy breaths in between as he drank his fill. Once he latched off, he raised his arms up to Reaper, the taller looking over at Geno with an apologetic smile as he took hold of Goth, softly patting his back as he rose to his feet. He chuckled at the sound of the burp that left him, listening to his sleepy giggles as he curled up in his father’s hold.   
Geno watched as his ex-husband calmed their child, disheartened by the fact that he managed to quiet him down in a quarter of the time that it took him.

“Reaper, you know this doesn’t mean…” his words trailed off, not wanting to finish that statement on his own. 

“Yeah. I know,” he sighed, “I know.” 

Goth was fast asleep in no less than five minutes, Reaper pressing a small kiss to his temple before handing him over, or at least attempting to. The infant in his hands whined in his light sleep, Geno resting a hand on the baby’s back.

“You have better luck putting him to bed yourself.” Reaper gave a small nod and followed Geno to their room, masking the pain his shattered soul was bringing him at the sight of the bare walls of the hallway. He had taken the photos and lights down, giving the off-duty officer the impression that he truly did move on. He set Goth down on the bed, building a barrier around him to avoid any movement, and followed Geno back to the front door. 

“Thanks for coming so quickly.” 

“Don’t mention it,” Reaper waved off, “don’t hesitate to call me if he gets a little cranky again, yeah?” 

“Yeah…” With that confirmation, Reaper headed towards his car, about to get in only to stop at the sight of Geno heading over to his side, “good night.” 

“Could’ve said it from the door,” Reaper chuckled weakly as he leaned against the car door and watched as Geno fiddled with the end of his sleeve.

“I wanted to say something else,” he took a deep breath and looked to Reaper, “I don’t want us to end off on a bad note, especially not if I’m going to end up calling you again to help out.” He saw that the taller was listening and continued, “I want you to enjoy your life, and I mean that in a positive way, I swear. I genuinely want you to enjoy living life. And don’t do anything stupid like locking yourself away in a room because I know you’re better than that. Think you can do that?” What Geno was asking for was difficult. Reaper had come to believe that he wanted to end all ties, yet the possibility to stay in contact with him was staring at him right in the face. 

“Then why’d you decline child support?” 

“I didn’t want you to feel as though spending time and money on Goth was a requirement.” Geno admitted, “I wanted you to spend time with him at your own free will, not because you were pressured to do so.” That earned a quiet ‘oh’ from the taller as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

“Alright. You have my word so long as you do the same. I don’t want you thinking that you’re inadequate of any sort, that you’re lacking in something because you’re not. I was dumb and I took you for granted. That doesn’t make you anything less than perfect. Alright?” Geno chuckled and nodded. 

“Alright. I’m still me and you’re still a headass. Those are our terms?” 

“You’re damn right they are.” Reaper laughed as he shook the smaller’s hand. “Until next time, bye Mister Geno CQ.” He said as he got into his car.

“Mister Reaper Renrink, see you around,” Geno said with a wave as he drove off. 

Five years later… 

Geno perked up at the sound of his little boy, spotting him walking out of the school with his head hung low and a packet clutched a little too tightly in his hand. He kneeled down and opened up his arm, sad to see his son walk into them and hug him as if his life depended on it.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Did something happen at school?” There were a few seconds of silence before he heard a sniffle, “baby, what’s wrong?” No words left the boy, only holding out the papers that displayed his results for the older skeleton to see, Geno taking hold of it and beaming brightly to see such high marks on such an important test.   
“I knew you could do it, Gothy.” He pressed a kiss to his cheek before holding his hand out for Goth to take. “What’s got you so sad about this?” 

“I could’ve done better momma…” 

“Aw baby, no. Don’t say it like that,” he hoisted him into his arms and started heading back home, “I know you did the best you could and got the best grade you can get.”

“Is daddy busy today?” Geno shrugged his shoulders, not really sure what his ex-husband’s schedule was, “can I call daddy and tell him?” 

“Maybe you could tell him this weekend when you go to his house?” He suggested, Goth shaking his head and persisting on the matter. 

“Can I text him?” With how defeated his son sounded, Geno was quick to produce his phone from his pockets and held it out for Goth to take once he unlocked it. He watched his son effortlessly navigate through the smartphone and tap on the messages. He hardly paid attention to what his son would message his ex-husband but had his attention drawn to their conversation as Goth held the phone up to him to see. “Daddy said I can-” he didn’t even get through his sentence when he saw Reaper’s name pop up on the screen as well as a solo picture of him at their wedding. Guess he never got around to changing that. He slid to answer the call, Geno watching as a smile finally lit up his face at the sound of his father’s voice. “Hi, daddy. I’m okay. Are you busy today?” He giggled and looked to Geno, “momma, he’s asking what the chief is saying.” 

“Your daddy’s the chief of police, remember?” He teased playfully only to watch Goth shake his head.   
“He said commander and chief! That’s different, momma!” The boy laughed. “Is it okay if I go with daddy today?” 

“Promise to get your homework done?” Goth nodded, “and eat your vegetables when you’re over there?” Another frantic nod from the young skeleton, seeming ecstatic at the thought of being able to spend a weekday with his dad, “and to not be sad about your good grade?” 

“I promise, momma! I pinkie promise!” He raised said finger to engage in the childish agreement, Geno returning it with a free hand. “Alright, now let me see the phone. I’ve got to tell your daddy what your dinner’s going to be.” Goth handed the phone over and leaned into his mother’s hold, no longer focused on how bad of a grade he was convinced he got. “Reap, I’m telling you right now. No pizza party dinner. It’s a school night, so I don’t want to hear that Goth went to bed with a stomach full of greasy food.” 

“Alright Gen, no pizza.” 

“No burgers either.” The scarred skeleton added, unamused you hear him chuckle at the addition. “Sure, laugh now, but I know you were thinking about it.” 

“Alright. No burgers either. A perfectly healthy home-cooked meal. Think he’ll like the stir fry I used to make?” Reaper suggested, the jingling of his keys can be heard. Guess he really was off duty. 

Geno chuckled at the mention of that dish, seeing as it was the one thing his ex-husband didn’t burn down in the first try, “he’d probably love that. He’s got your appetite, after all. Just remember to put some greens in there,” he reminded after poking fun at the taller’s ravenous hunger. 

“Won’t forget. And before you say it, I’ll take him to school and drop him off back at your place the next day.” 

“Thanks, Reaper.” Geno sighed as he handed the phone back over to Goth, who was making grabby hands at the device so he could talk to his father. “Passing it back over to the boss now.” He chuckled as he handed it back, Goth giggling as he started talking to Reaper about his day at school and what they planned on doing once they got to his place.

The walk back home wasn’t a far one, Goth informing Reaper that they were home now and hanging up the phone after hearing the promise of his arrival. Geno set the boy down and watched him runoff. 

“Come find me, momma!” He cheered, Geno laughing as he tried to follow him up the stairs. Goth giggled as he hid from his mom, settling behind the clothes in his closet with hopes that he won’t find him. 

“I won’t ever be able to find Goth.” Geno lamented dramatically as he stood in his son’s room. “Guess I’ll have to eat his sundae too.” 

That statement raised a debate for the young skeleton, now wondering which outcome would be more beneficial. Though the desire to give up his hiding spot wasn’t the strongest, the special frozen treat for lunch was making it tempting to do so. Then he was reminded of the phone call he made earlier and quickly came to the consensus that hiding was a lot more fun.

“Daddy will get me a sundae!” Of course, his announcement gave away his location, Geno scooping the boy out of his hiding spot and laughing along to his joyous laughter. 

“Found you~” he cooed as he nuzzled his son, finding peace in Goth’s giggling. “Now come on, let’s get you dressed.” 

“Momma, why doesn’t daddy live with us?” 

“You know why, sweetheart.” Geno sighed, catching the small pout on the boy’s face. 

“Then why does Mister Classic come over?” Another sigh left the mother as he thought about how he could answer that question without upsetting his son. “I don’t like Mister Classic.” 

“Well, I like Mister Classic and he likes us too.” He attempted to reason calmly but found that pout on his face seemed persistent. “I know it’s new, but it’ll all be okay soon. In fact,” he slipped the shirt over his head and smiled at his boy as he grabbed his favorite jacket from the closet, “Mister Classic said he had a gift for you.” 

“Really?” Geno stifled a laugh at how quickly that pout vanished and those words stemmed his strong dislike for the other, nodding as he let him start packing for the weekend. 

“Really really. I’ll send him upstairs so he could give it to you while you pack. And no funny business, right?” 

“No funny business!” He chirped as he pulled out his sleepover backpack. Geno smiled and kissed the top of his head before heading out of the room, letting Classic head inside to give him the gift he bought him. 

“Hey there, Goth.” He waved, the little boy looking to the man that stood by the door. 

“Hi, Mister Classic.” He greeted as he finished stuffing his nightshirt into the bag. 

“Getting ready to go to his place?” He asked, Goth giving a nod as he zipped up his bag. “Gonna have fun?”

“Mhm. Daddy said he’s going to take me to a park today and we’re going to get snacks and have a picnic and watch movies until I have to come home.” The reminder of all the things his father promised him they’d do lifted his spirits just a little bit, forgetting what had gotten him in such a sad mood until the adult in the room spoke up. 

“Bunch of cheap promises.” Classic muttered before rolling his eyes, the smile from before returning as he pulled out the gift he bought for him. “Anyway, I got you a little something for passing that test.” That statement in itself confused the boy, recalling how upset he had been when he called Goth over to reveal his scores. Nonetheless, he held his hands out and watched as the gift was placed in his awaiting hands, Classic sitting back and watching him tear up the wrapping paper with a chuckle, hearing a gasp follow shortly after once the gift inside was revealed. It was a scarf that looked very much like his mother’s, hugging it close as he looked to Classic with a smile. 

“I love my gift. Thank you.” He hummed, hoping that this was a sorry gift, one he saw his mother often get from the man in the room. 

“Anything for my boy.” He hummed as he affectionately rubbed the top of his head to earn his precious giggles, Goth assuming this was his sorry gifts and immediately forgiving him for his rude behavior earlier. 

“I can’t wait to show daddy.” Again, there was that word that sent a painful jolt down the adult’s spine. That word didn’t refer to him and he’s been more present in the young skeleton’s life. What was that idiot of a chief doing that he wasn’t? 

“Goth, who am I to you?” He asked, hoping to hear some sort of father figure title leave his mouth. 

“That’s easy. You’re Mister Classic.” He laughed softly as he prepared his backpack, readjusting his scarf so it rested the same way his mom did. 

“Could I be your dad?” Goth looked to the man and blinked, unable to truly understand what his question was implying. 

He was about to go see his dad. How could he possibly give him that title if he wasn’t him? Not understanding the true meaning behind the question, the young skeleton answered as best as he could. 

“No. My daddy’s my dad.” He walked up to him and gave him a bright smile. “You’re Mister Classic.” Goth didn’t understand what he was doing wrong when he heard a heavy sigh leave him, watching curiously as he pulled a sheet of paper off of his desk and held it out to him. 

"I want to show you something. Take this piece of paper, Goth." He handed him a sheet of computer paper, the curious five-year-old examining the paper before looking to who used to be his teacher with askance. "Now crumple it up." Goth did as asked, not quite sure what he was hinting at or how it pertained to the question he had answered. Once it was fully balled up, he looked to Classic, waiting for either the next step or the explanation behind this little demonstration. "That paper was your momma and that's what your daddy did to him. Now, try to unfold it." Goth stared at the paper in his hand with horror. 

‘Momma got hurt because of him? Am I going to get hurt because of him?’ 

This new mindset directly contradicted his own belief in who his father was. Goth was now worried that he’d end up the same way, that his father wouldn’t hesitate to put him in the same condition, and started to uncrumple as carefully as he could after realizing that it represented his mother, whining at the few tears he accidentally made while performing the seemingly impossible task. "It's not the same as before, is it?" Goth shook his head slowly and dropped the paper he held, wiping the tears away from his face as he connected the demonstration to how his mother must’ve felt. “Now, watch as I try to help.” He pulled out another sheet of paper and followed the same steps, Goth watching attentively as Classic carefully unraveled the paper and straightened it out, handing it to him after he finished. Compared to his attempt, Classic had a much better result, the boy looking up to him as he rose to his feet. “That's why I have to be here, why I have to be your dad. Keep that in mind when you see your daddy.” He grumbled sourly before he left the room, Goth concentrating more on the flattened paper in his hands than the still crumpled and torn paper on the ground.   
Had his actual father really been so awful? Had his mother really been hurting this whole time despite the smile on his face? 

It was a lot to process and Goth was close to crying at the thought that he'd have to choose between the two. 

“Goth, come downstairs. Your daddy’s here.” His head turned when his mother called, crumpling the paper and stuffing it into his backpack before throwing it onto his shoulders, hurrying down the stairs to find his dad standing outside the front door in his uniform. 

“Hey, Gothy.” He kneeled down and opened his arms, the smaller completely forgetting what Classic told him and the soul-shattering crisis he almost had as he ran into his arms, hugging him tightly as he was hoisted off the ground. “Ready for our super fun day?” He asked, Goth nodding happily. 

“Wait! I forgot to say bye to momma!” Reaper chuckled and set the boy down on his feet, watching him bounce up the steps and hug Geno as tightly as he could. This caused the scarfed skeleton to laugh and hoist him up into his arms, hugging him close as he kissed his cheek. 

“Bye, momma!” He cheered before fidgeting in his arms to be let go. 

Geno did as asked and set the ball of energy on his feet, waving to him as he ran back over to Reaper’s side. “Bye Gothy. I’ll miss you!” 

“I’ll miss you too momma! I love you!” He called out before turning to his dad. “You’re under arrest!” Reaper howled with laughter as he carried him back to the car, letting him sit him in the driver’s seat as he stood outside the car, allowing his son to push the button that triggered the sirens.

“You beat me to it.” He laughed. It became their little game when Geno found out that Reaper was busy one weekend and had to take him down to the station. Whoever ‘arrested’ the other first when leaving Geno’s place absolutely had to do one thing that the other asked them to do, that task referred to as their community service. ”What’s my community service, officer?” He asked as he held his hands behind his back to act as though he had been handcuffed. 

“Umm…” his voice trailed off as he thought of something they could do together. “I want a police badge like you! I already have a scarf like momma’s.” He showed off the scarf he wore, loving the compliment Reaper gave him.

“Alright, officer. I’ll have that on your desk by tonight.” He promised, kissing his boy’s cheek as he moved him over to the passenger side so he could settle in the driver’s seat. “Remember to buckle up.” Goth practically wriggled with excitement as he pulled the seatbelt over himself and clicked it, waving to his mother as they pulled out of the driveway and were on their way to Reaper’s apartment. 

“Alright, bud. Lunch is an order, so what do you wanna eat?” He asked as he came to the first red light. 

“Guess!” Reaper laughed and started thinking of questions to ask. 

“Hmm. Is it cold or hot?” 

“Cold!” That was a dead giveaway to what Goth was asking for, but he played along, knowing how much he loved this guessing game. 

“Does it taste yummy?” An affirming hum left his son as he looked out the window. “Does it have two words?” Reaper chuckled as he started counting the number of words on his fingers and heard yet another affirming hum. “Think we can get it from Marble Creamery?” He asked as he turned into the parking lot, catching the look of excitement on his son’s face when he saw the large ice cream sign. 

“Yeah! Yeah!” He clapped as Reaper pulled into the nearest parking spot, reaching out to his father while making grabby hands. 

“A sundae?” He finally came to the answer, unbuckling his seatbelt and hoisting him into his arms. 

“Sundae!” He mimicked with a cheer, cuddling up in his father’s hold as they stepped out of the car. 

“Wanna lock the doors?” He raised his keys up and watched Goth press the button with a lock, laughing when he heard it beep in response. “Good job. That’s my smart little boy.” Reaper pressed a kiss to the top of his head before entering the establishment. “How was school so far?” 

“It was fun. I made a new friend today and-” He cut off his own words with a gasp, looking at his father with wide and uncertain eyes, a little smile lighting his face as he thought about how proud his father would be when he told him. Surely he’d think his grade wasn’t as bad as Classic had made it out to be, “daddy, I passed my smartness test with a ninety-eight. I’m in a big kid class now.” This confused the chief, trying to think what kind of test gauges smartness if all were just standardized and based on memorization, but was happy to hear that he made it to another, possibly more advanced, class. 

“Well, I knew you would. You are my smart little boy after all. For that, you get to add another community service for me.” That wiped the uncertainty off his features and put a genuine smile on the five-year-old’s face, studying the new flavors they offered so he could make a decision. “We’ll take a sundae. Goth, which two colors do you want?” 

“I want the green one! Oh and the brown one!” He pointed out the flavors he wanted, the lady serving them scooping those two requested flavors, Reaper adding cookies and cream onto that order for himself. “Can we get nemenems and kisses?” The woman laughed at the adorable question as she loaded the custom dessert with the toppings he asked for. 

“Which card do you want to give to the lady?” He handed his wallet over to his son and let him pick out of the few credit cards he had, Goth eagerly grabbing the one that had his wedding photo printed onto it. 

“This one! It’s my favorite one because momma looks so pretty!” Reaper spared the card a disheartened smile. 

“He really does.” He hummed softly as he handed her the card, watching her charge it before handing it back with the receipt. “Thanks.” He pocketed his things and picked up the ice cream bowl, carrying it to one of the tables and setting Goth down in his lap so he could occasionally take a bite of the ice cream. 

“Daddy, can I tell you a secret?” Goth asked as he took a bite of the chocolate ice cream. 

“ ‘Course bud.” He took a bite of the cookies and cream, waiting for the smaller to follow that question up. 

“Mister Classic got mad at me. That’s why my results were so late. He said that I should’ve done better and that I should’ve had a perfect score,” he confessed, leaning into his father’s hold and ignoring the icy treat set before him. 

“Is that why you were sad today, bud?” A slow nod left the child as he proceeded to curl up in his arms. “your grade was a ninety-eight, right?” 

“... a ninety-eight.” Goth reiterated sadly, Reaper was baffled that he had the audacity to get upset with his boy even after obtaining such a very high grade. 

“Goth, buddy, that’s an incredible score. That’s so close to a hundred.” 

“That’s why he was upset. He said my score should’ve been a perfect hundred.” Reaper sighed as Goth explained what triggered the adult to lash out at him. “He said I’m not smart enough for a hundred.” 

“Forget about him. Look at me,” Goth spared a glance up at Reaper, taken aback by the smile on his face, “you did amazing on that test. You’re very smart Goth, and that one question does not make you less smart. Those few questions give you a place to start so you can become smarter, smarter than everyone.” 

“Smarter than everyone?” Reaper nodded confidently, watching his son’s mood on the subject lighten up a bit. “Even Mister Classic?” 

“Way smarter than Mister Classic. You’ll definitely be smarter than me.” 

“But you’re the smartest daddy. I won’t ever be smarter than you.” He giggled softly, earning his father’s laugh as he nodded. 

“Yes you will, bud. I know you will.” He chuckled before pressing a little kiss to the top of his hooded skull. “Anything else he said that upset you?” 

”Today, he says he wants to be my dad because he won’t hurt me because he said you will just like you did momma.” That’s when Reaper set the spoon back in the bowl and looked at the ice cream uneasily. The off-duty chief felt shame overcome him, looking at the ice cream with deep regret. He knew that Geno was on the same page as him, that they weren’t going to mention their situation to Goth because the boy was too young to know about this. Did he fail to tell his current boyfriend about that rule? “You won’t hurt me, right daddy?” 

“I wouldn’t, Goth. Not now, not ever.” 

“Did you hurt momma?” His silence was enough of an answer for Goth. “Was it an accident?” 

“An accident I regret every day.” He said with all honesty. He thought about it often, wishing that he could go back and undo the mess he made.

“Then just say sorry,” Goth suggested the seemingly foolproof plan. “Say sorry and then momma won’t need Mister Classic anymore.” 

“I don’t think just a sorry will fix things, Goth.” He chuckled weakly. What he did was unforgivable. He had broken several vows he made to the man he loved. That wasn’t something a little apology nor a grand gesture to prove his love could mend. 

“A sorry gift then!” The scarfed skeleton caught onto his father’s worries and provided a backup plan. “You said I get to have two con-com…” Goth struggled with the word, Reaper stepping in and saying the term for him, “yeah, that!” He held up two fingers, pointing to one of them, “one can be the badge, and the second one a really good sorry gift for momma!” 

“What would I even buy him?” He asked curiously. Five years was a long time, long enough to make him doubt everything he’s ever known about the man he still loved. Goth pouted at the question, propping his arms upon the table and tapping his chin thoughtfully, taking after Geno’s little habits completely. A lightbulb went off in his head, his entire face lighting up at the idea he came up with. 

“Buy momma those yellow roses Mister Classic always buys him! He loves those!”

“Yellow roses?” As far as he knew, Geno hated them with a passion, having learned that lesson when he decided to surprise him with them and was met with a stern rejection and a sentence to the couch. “Are you sure he likes the yellow one?” 

“Mmhmm!” Goth took another bite of his dessert. “Mister Classic gets them for him all the time and momma always looks so happy to get them.” 

“Alright, bud. I’ll need your help with finding the perfect ones. Momma deserves the best of the best. Think you could help your old man out?” Goth nodded enthusiastically and more than ready to head out now to hunt for the perfect gift. 

“Let’s do that right now daddy!” 

“Then who’s gonna finish this sundae?” He asked playfully, watching his son’s attention fly back to the dessert sitting in front of them. 

“Oh! Oh! Can I?” Reaper stifled a laugh at his son’s enthusiasm, nodding his head and watched as he tried to devour the dessert as fast as he could. “Slow down, bud. You’ll get a-” his warning grounded to a halt at the sound of his son’s small whine, “brain-freeze.” he chuckled weakly, turning his son to have him face him, his hand glowing with warm magic and gently holding his cheek. It was obvious that the pain was starting to fade the more he leaned into his hand.”You gotta be careful with cold food. It’ll hurt if you try to eat it too fast. Promise me you’ll be more careful next time?” 

“I promise.” He hummed quietly as the warmth of his magic started to fade. 

“Good,” he picked up the spoon and spared his son a goofy smile, “now it’s daddy’s turn to get a brain freeze.” 

“No daddy!” Goth giggled as he tried to stop him from eating too much too fast, Reaper laughing as his son tried to stop the heavy spoonful from getting to his mouth. 

“Come on, Gothy. I wanna get one too!” He laughed as he tried again only to have him effectively block the spoon from entering his mouth. “Alright, alright,” he relented with a sigh, watching Goth relax before offering the spoon to him, “want another one?” 

“No!” More laughter followed before Reaper actually set the spoon down and picked up a more reasonable amount, holding it out for Goth to have only to find him doing the same with his own spoonful.   
With the ice cream devoured and the bowl trashed, he stepped out to find Dust standing there with the keys to his actual car in hand. 

“Uncle Dusty! Uncle Dusty!” The other officer chuckled as he held the keys out for Goth to take. 

“And how’s my favorite nephew?” He joked, ruffling his hood just a bit to earn more of his precious giggles. 

“Good. Daddy said I got a really good grade on my smartness test!” Dust was just as confused as Reaper was about what the smartness test might have meant, but congratulated the boy nonetheless. 

“You shoulda told me earlier. Would’ve brought you a gift to celebrate.” He told him before accepting the keys from Reaper. 

“Go ahead and start the car for me, bud,” Reaper set his boy on his feet and watched as he dashed over to his car, unlocking the doors and climbing into the driver’s seat adorably, “sorry for making you come out here to get the car back.” 

“It’s all good, Reap. Your kid sounded upset and everyone at the station knows how much he loves riding in one. Ever find out what happened?”

“Yeah. Turns out Classic thinks it’s funny to treat a high score like it’s something to be ashamed of.” 

“Damn, the fuck is wrong with that guy?” Dust mumbled, waving to Goth as the boy gestured to him, both officers chuckling at the sight of him turning up the music. 

“Doesn’t help that he told Goth about why me and Geno split.” 

“Ah shit, serious?” Reaper nodded slowly and Dust simply rolled his eyes, “might have to do some digging on this guy. See if he’s got a warrant he doesn’t know about.” 

“Already tried the first time Goth called me in tears,” Reaper admitted with a huff, Dust laughing a bit as he realized that Reaper was one step ahead of him. 

“Shoulda figured,” he snickered before clapping his boss’s back, “I wish you good luck on figuring out what to do next. See ya around, chief,” Dust laughed before giving a small two-finger salute to him before properly saluting Goth, his laughter mixing with the boy’s giggles as he saluted back. 

Reaper slid into the driver’s seat, plopping Goth down into the passenger with a laugh as he buckled up, more than ready to help his father appease his mother and return the family that they should’ve been. The pair went ahead and headed over to the florist’s shop that he usually frequented, the drive seems to be short thanks to the little games Goth busied then with. Once they made it to the shop, Reaper took hold of Goth’s hand and guided him in before scooping him up into his arms to give him a better view of the flowers on display. 

“Daddy, these flowers are like the ones in the picture!” Reaper glanced over to find his attention directed to the osiria roses, the very roses that Geno carried down the aisle all those years ago. A smile graced the older skeleton’s face as he picked one of them up, holding it out for Goth to examine. “Does momma like these more?” 

“He used to love these. His favorite color was always red and he loved how nice it looked on these flowers.” 

“Then get him these!” He cheered, looking at the made bouquet and attempting to grab it from where he was. 

“I thought he liked the yellow roses, bud?” He chuckled as he grabbed hold of the osirias, handing it over to Goth so he could examine it for himself. 

“These are prettier than the yellow ones though,” he hummed, “they’re really pretty.” 

“Pretty. Just like momma, huh?” Goth giggled at his father’s words and nodded, agreeing with him wholeheartedly as Reaper gathered a few more so that the woman could create a bouquet fitting to give to Geno.

Once he got a number of the roses that Goth deemed were okay, he took it over to the front counter and watched as the lady placed a few baby’s breaths to give the bouquet a little pop before charging him. Goth happily held onto the flowers as Reaper carried him back to the car, looking at his boy with a gentle smile as he rambled on about how much Geno would love to have these. It wasn’t until he saw a look of guilt flash over his face did Reaper’s smile vanish. 

“What’s wrong bud? The flowers not okay?” 

“No.. They’re okay…” 

“Then why the long face?” He asked playfully as he buckled him into his car seat.. 

“We won’t get to have our sleepover.” His little head jolted up at the sound of his father’s rich laughter, “what?” he whined quietly, wanting to know why he was so happy when he was facing the worst news. That meant he had to spend the night with his mom and Mister Classic, not wanting to see the skeleton after the stern lecture he gave him during school and the lie he said about Reaper. 

“If this works, then I’ll be sleeping over with you and momma.” That immediately brought a smile onto the child’s face, happily cheering the idea on as Reaper climbed into the driver’s seat. 

“It’ll work, daddy! I know it will!”

“Well, let’s hope so,” he chuckled as he started his car up, backing out the parking and heading back to Geno’s place. 

The five-year-old spent a few minutes singing along to the radio and talking to Reaper about how school was going, making sure to mention his new best friend and how he had stuck up for him when the older kids in his grade level were getting a little too rough with him. The excitement that seemed to run through the boy’s system was starting to calm, listening to his singing now quiet down and opting to just listening to the radio. Reaper was convinced that Goth had fallen asleep had he not called for him. 

“Daddy?” Reaper spared a glance at the rearview mirror, adjusting it to see his son tiredly swaying to the music as he looked out the window.

“What’s up, bud?” Just as he had asked, he watched Goth’s attention fall onto the mirror, the young skeleton beaming when he saw that he had his father’s attention.

“Can you stay with me and momma forever now?”

The question broke his soul, the guilt pilin gup inside him the longer he saw his son’s hopeful face. 

“I don’t know yet, bud.” True, they had a plan, but there was the off chance that Goth was reading too much into this and wanted him back for the sake of not seeing Geno’s current boyfriend anymore. 

“Daddy~” Despite how he was currently feeling, Reaper chuckled at the sound of his whining, “we got the flowers and everything! Momma is going to say it’s okay, so why won’t you stay?” Goth asked, thinking a bit before recalling Classic’s words from a few days back. “Is… Is it because of me?” Reaper stopped the car at a red light, turning back to look at his son and moved a hand forward to cradle his face.

“Goth, it definitely isn’t because of you, kiddo. I love you, Gothy. And I miss you so much. So don’t ever let Classic tell you otherwise.”

“Then why won’t you come back? Is it momma? Is he being a meanie? He only does that because he loves you. He’s told me!” Reaper bit his tongue, at this point struggling to hold back the pain, and spared a glance down to the floors. Whether that be true or not, it still hurt to think that after all these years, Geno still wanted him, even if he was dating another. And here he was, too afraid to even ask if that was true for the sake of his own wanting feelings. “Do you miss momma, daddy?” 

“E-Everyday, bud.” He cleared his throat at the sound of the honk, turning back to start driving once more, “every single day.” 

“What do you miss about momma, daddy?” A million things ran through his mind at the sound of that question. There wasn’t just one thing he could miss about the smaller. His list started off cliche: his smile, his laughter, the way his eyelight glimmered with love or excitement, his little jokes and sarcastic remarks, his kisses, the way his form fit into his own whenever they cuddled. The list was never-ending and that’s what hurt the officer the most. He gave all those incredible qualities that made up the man he loved up for a quick lay that ended terribly. Now here he was, trying his damned hardest to repair what might be far too damaged and hope that he’ll brush it off in the event that it doesn’t go so well. 

“His embrace…” He adjusted the mirror quickly so that Goth didn’t have to see him like this, the tears that unknowingly sprung free now cascading his cheekbones as he thought about the simple gesture he had mistakenly overlooked due to his own stupidity.

“Daddy, what’s that mean?”

He quickly brushed away the tears as he pulled up to the driveway, clearing his throat as best as he could so that he could answer his son’s seemingly endless questions.

“His hugs..” he parked the car and stepped out, circling around back and opening up the door leading into the backseat. “Momma always gives the best hugs, right Gothy?”

“Yeah! Yeah! Momma always gives the best hugs!” He cheered as he held his arms out, making a little grabby motion towards his father. “Daddy, the flowers!” 

“I hear ya, bud.” He unbuckled his seatbelt and hoisted him into his arms, grabbing the bouquet occupying the seat beside his son’s car seat. “Here, you go ahead and hold them for me.” 

“So you’re staying?” Goth asked with a small yawn, his sockets drooping as his eyelight dimmed and nuzzled the bouquet close to his chest.

“I’ll-” his words got caught in his throat at the sight of the front door opening, his soul pounding out of his chest as he approached the small figure standing in front of the light, “try…” he finished softly.

“Here. Let me take him.” Geno held his arms out, Reaper complying to avoid upsetting him any more than he already had. Goth seemed to have a different idea in mind, clinging to his father and whining as he weakly attempted to pry him out of his hold. “Stop it. You have better luck tucking him in yourself.” Reaper gave a silent nod, unable to meet his husband’s fixed gaze.

“M-Momma? Daddy, he.. and flowers..” He slipped in and out of consciousness as the day’s excitement finally wore off, replacing it with exhaustion easily the longer he held the flowers out for him. The smaller tensed at the sight of those familiar flowers, letting the initial surprise breeze through him so that he could comfort his baby. 

“I’m here, baby boy.” Geno cooed, softly rubbing his back as he allowed Reaper to step inside their home. “These for me?” A tired nod followed his question as well his soft murmuring about Reaper snagging them for him, Geno doing his best to ignore the sleepy message as he took hold of them and taking a whiff. “Let’s get you ready for bed. You can tell me all about it when you help me during breakfast. Sound fun?”

“Mhmm. Daddy too.” He hummed, finally giving in to the sleep that lulled him.

Geno paid no mind to his son’s final words nor the officer still standing in the doorway, focusing more on tending to the sleepy boy in his arms. “He’s out like a light.” The smaller concluded, now looking to Reaper. “Let me take you to his room.” The smaller motioned for him to follow, Reaper kicking off his work shoes before doing as asked.  
Reaper followed behind his ex-husband, his soul twinging with pain as he took each step up the stairs, reaching Goth’s room and stepping inside carefully. Unlike the usual messy room a five-year-old had, this one was tidy, very thin books lining the shelves of the small bookshelf and the toys stacked neatly on another. He caught sight of the first-grade workbook on top of the shelf and looked to Geno. 

“He’s in first grade?” He carefully shifted the sleepy boy in his arms to free one hand and breezed through the workbook to find a good chunk of the assignments already completed.

“He is my son.” Geno chuckled as he nodded to his question. “His teacher saw potential and let him take the placement test the other day. Got his results this morning and shifted into the first-grade class.” 

“So that’s what he meant by smartness test. I thought he was talking about getting into an advanced version of kindergarten,” Reaper added with a soft laugh, looking to his sleeping son with a prideful smile and kissing the top of his head. 

”He couldn’t get over it. He was a little sad at first, never did figure out why,” Reaper frowned at the mention of that, rubbing his son’s head affectionately. Truly, their son had taken after Geno completely, “has he told you about Palette?” Geno questioned, wondering what his son had babbled to him about while spending the day at wherever Reaper resided now. 

“Yeah. He sounds like such a sweet kid.” He hummed as he laid his boy down in his little bed, tucking him in carefully just as he did last night. The smaller left the minute he started to tuck him in, knowing he had to clean up after the dinner had with Classic. Reaper was none the wiser to his lack of presence, softly brushing his thumb along the underside of his socket, humming a little tune to make sure he didn’t disturb his sleep in the slightest. 

“Daddy… stay…” Goth murmured in his sleep, holding onto his father’s arm and giving it a soft squeeze before letting it go. 

“I’ll try, buddy. I promise.” He reminded, flicking on the astronomical nightlight before rising to his feet. He stepped out into the hall, towards the game room to see the little hall that leads down to what used to be their room. He shot a glance at the stairs, confirming that Geno wasn’t heading up, and plodded over to find it decorated just as it had been five years ago. He put them back. Goth was right. Photos of their wedding adorned walls, garlands of flowers with little fairy lights still hanging above them. He came across the last one, resting his hand on the canvas at the sight of them kissing at the altar. The way Geno pressed his body flush against his own, how his face fit perfectly in his hands whenever he cradled it, how the smaller’s hands grabbed fistfuls of his overcoat in attempts to hold him closer. He noticed all these little things, his soul aching painfully as he was reminded of his mistake, forcing him to leave the hall and head down the stairs. He came across the last step and stilled at the familiar sound of a guitar gently strumming, rushing to find the source of the song, and found the radio playing. Geno momentarily froze at the introduction to the song. 

“I got a heart…” Geno’s head shooting to the taller, his cheeks flushed a soft red hue as he took in the sight of his ex-husband leaning against the arch of the kitchen entryway. Instead of questioning why he was still here and what he was planning on doing or why he even bothered to remember their song, the memories of this song resurfaced, Geno falling for the whims of those wonderful times, “and I got a soul~” he sung, taking a testing step forward and found that Geno mirrored it. So Goth had been right. Geno hadn’t gotten over him. “Believe me, I will use them both~” For a split second, he had forgotten about their five-year split, finding himself indulging in the first thought that came to his mind at the sight of Reaper attempting to serenade him. 

“We made a start, be it a false one I know,” Geno sang along, catching sight of Reaper’s loving gaze. His eyes, or rather lack of, seemed to hold no ill intentions, just the same gentle love he remembered seeing every day since they first got together and the smaller melted, finally giving in to the feelings he failed to remove completely for the last five years. “Baby, I don’t want to feel alone~” He sang sadly, resting his hand in Reaper’s outstretched one and letting himself be pulled flush against the taller’s form. Despite being with classic, he found himself always recalling the time he spent with Reaper, always feeling as though he was alone without his husband by his side. This felt all too familiar to the pair, allowing them both to reminisce about the last time they had relished in the close proximity and danced to this very song, the night of their wedding. In Reaper’s mind, his beloved was donned in the form-fitting fluffy wedding dress and himself in the sharp black suit he still possessed, and, if the smaller’s blushing face was anything to go by, he was in the same mindscape. 

“So kiss me where I lay down,” Reaper hummed quietly, leaning down so he could cup his husband’s face softly, “my hands pressed to your cheek.” Geno giggled at the sensation and turned slightly, kissing the palm of his hand just as he had done all those years ago. 

“A long way from the playground,” Geno chuckled, seeing as they had come so far since then. 

“I have loved you since we were eighteen.” Reaper hoisted Geno up into his arms at the sound of the music picking up, leaning on the balls of his feet to spin him around flawlessly, his soul fluttering at the sound of his laughter, “long before we both thought the same thing.” Geno cupped his face, casting their five years split as he pressed his forehead against the taller’s, losing himself to the music completely.

“To be loved and to be in love~” Geno’s angelic voice confessing to still wanting the same thing was what Reaper craved to hear since they split.

“All I can do is say that these arms were made for holding you.” Singing along to the tune helped the glitching skeleton let those seemingly sturdy walls he built crumble, his soul pounding as he listened to his soulmate’s words. “I wanna love like you made me feel,” he paused both their dance and his singing, taking hold of Geno’s hands and pressing a kiss to them, “when we were eighteen~” The delivery of that line caused the restraint in smaller to snap, pulling the officer in and kissing him with all the passion he repressed for the last five years. 

Reaper was surprised he had made the first move, yet kissed back ardently, his hands already roaming, the smaller’s muffled moans encouraging his exploration. His hands trailed along his sides tauntingly, grabbing hold of his legs and hefted him up against a wall, feeling his supple magic coalesce as they wrapped around his waist to press him against his sensitive magic. The two pulled apart, the smaller greedily gulping down air, the heavy pants being broken up with little moans as the taller wasted no time showering his neck and shoulder blade with kisses and bites alike. Those notes of affection weren’t enough to subdue the heat he felt stirring between the pair. Geno yanked him back up into another heated kiss and worked quick, letting one hand fly to the hem of the taller’s trousers and pulling both the pants and his boxers down just enough to free his member from its confinement, plucking at the waistband of his shorts to reveal his own aroused anatomy. 

“Gen, are you-” he didn’t get to ask the permission he needed, Geno hugging him tightly so he could bury his face into the crook of the taller’s neck and gently squeezed his pelvis with his thighs, an age-old sign of his beloved being ready for him. 

“Please...” he pleaded against his neck, grinding on his length, desperate to appease the dangerous heat swirling both between them and inside him, “I missed you so much. Please…” 

“Are you sure about this? I don’t want to be another regret, sweetheart.” 

“You aren’t.” He huffed as he peppered the taller’s neck with soft kisses this time. “You never were.” 

His answer clashed with Reaper’s doubt. He had to have been. He dealt so much damage, enough to where Geno didn’t want anything to do with him when they were settling the conditions. The smaller noted his hesitation and pulled away, leaning against the wall he was pinned to so he could cup the taller’s face in his hands. 

“I’m serious, Reaps. You never were a regret of mine. I didn’t regret leaving everything to be with you.” He pressed a kiss to his forehead and continued. 

“I don’t regret marrying you.” 

Another kiss, now to his right cheekbone. 

“I don’t regret having your baby.” 

Now to his left cheekbone, a loving smile on his face as tears pricked the edge of his sockets. How’d he force himself to believe he could ever get over him? 

“I don’t regret loving you.”   
He pulled him in for a brief peck and met his absent yet solemn gaze.

“What I do regret is not being stronger.” Reaper’s drifting focus came back to Geno when he heard him admit his own regrets. 

“I regret tearing our family apart.” 

“Baby, it’s okay. It wasn’t your fault. Don’t-” Reaper’s words held no immediate effect, seeing as Geno continued to speak. 

“I regret lying to myself about being able to get over you. I-I regret forcing myself to b-believe that I couldn’t love you a-anymore.” 

Reaper did what he could, gently shushing him and trying to tell him that it was alright, that there was nothing he’d hold against him, but it didn’t seem to get through to him until he made his final claim. 

“I-I regret our divorce, Reaper!” 

The officer heard enough, kissing and consoling the smaller with a little loving. He kissed his tears away, a little smile on his face as he pulled him in for another peck, the sensation of the other’s hiccuping cries rumbling in himself.   
“I woke up every day since the day we split, regretting that I hurt you,” Reaper confessed before giving his ex-husband a genuine apologetic smile. “I can’t make it without you, Gen. I’m stupid and I hate how horrible I’ve become without you by my side. Could I try to make it up to you? Can we please try again?” As if Geno wasn’t already crying enough, a smile broke through the tears as he nodded. 

“Y-Yes. Oh gods, yes.” 

That was the confirmation the officer needed to give into what Geno had been asking of him, what he himself had been desperate for. 

*****

“I’ve waited too damn long for that,” Geno admitted with a chuckle as Reaper peeled him away from the wall, sitting him on the countertop and lazily loving on him. “I really did miss this.” He hummed quietly as he rubbed his head affectionately. 

“The sex or the loving after?” He asked playfully, earning a smack to the back of his head of a similar nature. 

“The loving, you perv.” 

“Just checking~” 

“What the fuck?!” Both heads turned to find Classic standing at the entryway to the kitchen with a bottle of wine in hand and a scowl on his face. “Geno, what the fuck is the meaning of this?!” Reaper glared at the skeleton yelling at his husband, holding him close as he stood up taller, thankful that he had the forethought of fixing his trousers. 

“And you are?” 

“His boyfriend, you disgusting piece of-” 

“Oh, so you’re the asshole convincing my son that I could give less of a shit about him?” Geno looked to Reaper in shock before mimicking the glare the officer sent toward the other. 

“You obviously didn’t give a fuck about Geno, seeing as you decided to cheat on him, so I was-” 

“That’s uncalled for. I told you not to tell him. He’s five and that’s the kind of shit you’re telling him? What other sick shit have you been telling him?” Geno interjected when he saw Reaper deflate at the reminder, resting a comforting hand on his chest, just above his soul. Now he understood why Goth had asked to go to Reaper’s apartment immediately after school on Fridays. “You need to leave.” 

“Gen, you gotta understand where I was coming from. He was-” 

“What you thought he was and where you were coming from is none of my concern, not anymore. So get out.” 

“So that’s it, huh?” Classic scoffed, clearly hurt by the decision that Geno continued to defend, “you dump me so you could go running back to him after he-”

“I have my reasons. Now leave our home.” Geno dropped the subtle hint that he had yet to remove Reaper’s name from the house. 

“Geno, I-” His sentence grounded to a halt at the sound of the cocking of a gun, catching sight of the pistol in Reaper’s hands. 

“I may be off duty and this is still my property. I can and will shoot you if you don’t get the hell out.” Reaper threatened as his glare hardened, the gun’s aim following him as he made his way to the door. He sheathed it into the holster once the door clicked shut, turning back to Geno to find a soft red hue dusting his cheekbones. “What?” 

“There’s my protector,” Reaper chuckled and hoisted him into his arms, peppering soft kisses to his neck to feel Geno’s arms wrap around him to ensure a secure grip. 

“And there’s my loving husband,” Geno laughed and shook his head, throwing Reaper off as he tried to figure out why he said no. 

“I don’t want us to pick up where we left off. I want to start over, get to know you again, go out on all those dates you used to take me out on, fall in love with you all over again.” 

“Another proposal?” Reaper asked as the two shared a soft chuckle.

“Though not required, it is encouraged.” The smaller teased. 

“Another child?” He asked hopefully, Geno looking to the magic that clouded his own. 

“If we’re lucky.” 

“Then I accept your terms. I already have the perfect second first date in mind.” He admitted as he scooped him up off the counter, hearing his boyfriend’s lighthearted giggles as he carried him off to their room. 

“Goth’s going to need a sitter then,” Reaper simply shook his head to the suggestion. 

“He’s coming with us, hun. After all, he’d love to see us together again.” That put a smile on Geno’s face, a short-lived squeal leaving him as he was dropped onto the bed. 

“Looks like your definition of a date matured.” 

“Oh, believe me, they probably haven’t~” he admitted with a slight purr in his voice as he crawled over him, riddling his still summoned form with small bites and kisses alike, “but I promised Goth that we’d do something together.” 

“He’s the reason you grew a pair of balls, huh?” Geno teased, loving the sound of his laughter as he crawled into bed, immediately clinging to him once he got settled. 

“Gotta hand it to the kid. He’s stubborn as all hell. Then again,” Reaper pressed a small kiss to his cheek, hearing a quiet hum leave the smaller as he accepted the affection, “he is your son.” 

“Should’ve seen him growing up. A real charmer, just like his daddy.” Reaper chuckled at the comparison, feeling a kiss now pressed to his cheek before the smaller went slack in his arms. 

“Night, Geno.” 

“Good night, Reaper.” 

The next morning was certainly a welcoming one, Reaper waking up to something jumping onto him, the excited chanting of ‘daddy’ letting him know just who the attacker was. 

“G’Morning, Gothy.” He chuckled tiredly, a quiet huff leaving him as he tackled him into a hug. 

“The plan worked, daddy! The plan worked!” Reaper chuckled as he accepted the kiss and hug from his son, his cheery voice easily waking Geno.

“Oh, so you were responsible for this?” Goth giggled and nodded at his mother’s words, another string of giggles leaving him as his confirmation earned him a kiss to the top of his head. “I’ll go ahead and get breakfast going.” Geno attempted to get out of bed, only to feel Reaper’s hand take hold of his, looking to find a smile on the officer’s face.

“I got breakfast, love. You take it easy for junior there.” The smaller looked to his boyfriend curiously to find his sights already set on his stomach, the dull red glow from beneath his white tee making it obvious to the two that he was pregnant. 

“Momma, I’m getting a baby brother?!” 

“Or sister. We don’t know just yet.” Reaper tacked on, opening his arms so Goth could climb into them. “Now come on, we gotta make momma and the baby some really good breakfast.” As expected, Goth went barreling into his arms, Reaper rising to his feet once he had a good grip on their son, “I’m sure Goth’ll come to get you when it’s ready.” He hummed softly, kissing Geno lovingly before hearing a quiet giggle, pulling away to catch sight of Goth’s smile, “Love you, sweetheart.”

“Alright. Before this one gets antsy,” Geno chuckled as he patted Goth’s back, rising to his feet so he could get ready for the day, “love you too, Reaps.”


	16. Request: Afterdeath: Out of Commission

The god watched as another name was burned off the list he clutched tightly. His shift had started not even an hour ago and yet his body was riddled with the same fatigue he'd be forced to endure when reaping for days at a time. He disbanded his scythe in hopes of easing the burden that racked his body, finding that storing the weapon restored an iota of his strength. With a snap of his fingers, he arrived at his next destination, watching the human gorging on a hamburger that dropped with enough grease to clog an artery in one bite. The god of death didn't have to guess what was the cause, sparing his aching mind a moment or two to relax. As short as a moment was, it was cut even shorter, the skeleton listening to the human choke and watching as his hand slammed against his chest time and time again. Despite the number of customers that came to his aid, Reaper reached forward and claimed his soul, both him and the freshly reaped soul observing his body falling limp against the table.

"Sorry, my friend," he murmured in hopes of being spared the mindless tangent that almost always followed, falling to his knees as the world seemed to spin around him.

"Why..." the reaped soul looked at Death for an answer, the hand on his shoulder delivering just the opposite, "who are-"  
Then silence. No more questions, no more screams of the terrified patrons. Just solace.

"Sans?" the god hardly responded to the voice that called for, assuming that there'd be some sort of lecture accompanying that call only to yet another call, "Reaper? Brother?"

"Pap...? Where-" he didn't get a chance to formulate his question properly, barely registering how close he was until he flinched at the cool hand that touched him.

"Brother, you're burning up. What happened?" He asked quietly as he assessed his health, avoiding any sort of contact in hopes of alleviating the condition.

"I dunno... I was... I was fine this morning..." he huffed in return, dragging the taller's cold hand close and allowing it to rest on his burning skull.

"You can't keep going this way, brother. You must rest. I'll take you to him." It was at those words did the older skeleton swat the hand away, a frown on his face as he shook his head.

"No, no, Grim," he negated the idea, knowing that his absence now would only invoke the sky god's fury, "I can't go back. Not yet... gotta finish this." The god of death didn't even get the chance to rise to his feet, the tall reaper already at his side and keeping him upright.

"Brother, you are not well." He reminded once more before teleporting out of the empty halls and into a world of blinding light.

Reaper flinched at the sudden intensity of light, groaning lightly as he let his brother guide him to whatever location Grim deemed safe. He let the hand that blocked the sun's light drop when he heard a rhythmic knock against what sounded like doors. The god didn't worry himself about where they were until he heard a door swing open, a flash of red stirring both a sense of relief and panic.

"Geno, my brother isn't feeling- oh," Grim only managed to express half of his complaint when he caught sight of the smaller skeleton sporting an obvious baby bump, sparing a glance at Reaper as he managed to piece together what caused his health to take a sudden nosedive. Geno hardly minded the interrupted thought, taking a step towards the ill-looking god. Very carefully, he took his face into his hands, cupping both sides carefully as he made his own assessment of his condition, Reaper tiredly burying his face into one of the offered palms.

"Reap, what happened to you?"

"His magic is hardly able to sustain his body, let alone allow him to work as efficiently as he usually does," Grim explained simply, continuing to hold his brother up to avoid putting any further strain on the expecting skeleton, "he's sick, as you mortals would say."

"Gods don't get sick," Reaper managed to huff, Geno rolling his eye as he ushered Grim to step inside.

"They do when you pull dumb shit like this," the smaller remarked before sparing a glance over at his own brother, the dark boned glitchy skeleton watching as the two gods stepped into the house, "Error, can you get a pot of water on the stove for me?" He was given a terse nod before watching him set his little knitting project aside to follow his simple order. Geno turned his attention back to Grim, "could you help me get him into bed?"

"Of course," a small nod accompanied the tall skeleton's acceptance of the task, following the scarfed skeleton further into the house and up the stairs, both listening to Reaper grumble about how this level of caution was unnecessary. His complaints didn't last long, the stream of incoherent mumbles coming to an end the second he was seated on the bed, "I will see to what remains of his work and make sure that Asgore remains unaware of their development."

"His," Geno chuckled as he rested a hand on the round magic that sustained their son, "and thank you for all your help, Grim."

"There is no need for your gratitude, brother. You only need to take care of him for me," the two shared a light chuckle at how the task was easier said than done before the reaper let himself out, bidding his brother-in-law both goodbye as well as wishing him the best with his nephew.

Geno turned his attention back to his sick husband once Grim teleported out of the bedroom, his hands wandering over the dark cloak the taller wore. With a soft tug of the rope that held the ensemble together, he carefully guided the thick material off of his body, humming an old tune quietly as he dumped the sweat-coated cloak into the hamper.

"Geno, I'm fine... really," the attempt to assure the smaller that his health was nothing to worry over was futile, watching him produce a familiar dark hoodie from their closet.

"Fine, my ass. Grim had to escort you back home," he sighed as he walked back over to where his husband rested, "now. I'm going to make you some soup. You didn't wake me this morning, so I doubt you had a proper breakfast."

"Gods don't need to eat, love." Reaper reminded, his words falling on deaf ears as Geno helped him slip into the warm jacket he held in his hands.

"And yet, you need to replenish your magic," he scoffed playfully as he guided the taller's motion, carefully lying him back into bed before draping the plush duvet over him, "I won't be long."

The scarfed skeleton retreated to the kitchen, cautiously descending the winding staircase to avoid overexerting himself. Upon entry, he found Error already occupying himself with the task, softly plodding over to his side to examine the contents of the small pot.

"Heard the idiot got himself sick," Error mentioned as he poured the warm meal into a decent-sized bowl, setting it on a tray before fishing out a few slices of bread from the wooden bread box.

"Yeah, his magic's at a low and he went out reaping like it was nothing," he admitted with a sigh as the younger of the two presented the tray, "thanks for helping me out with this Error. You don't have to-"

"God, Geno, we go through this every time. It's no big deal. It's not every day your brother's a few weeks away from giving birth to a literal demigod," Geno merely chuckled at the mention of his boy, taking hold of the tray he offered him and heading towards the stairs once again, "careful, Gen."

"I always am," he called out in return as he headed up the stairs, sticking close to the railing to avoid any sort of nasty fall. With slow progress, the expecting skeleton returned to the bedroom, his fist rapping on the door softly before pushing it open, "Reaps? You still awake?"

"Geno," a pitiful whimper left the god's mouth and tugged at the smaller's soul, setting the tray on the nightstand near him so he could cup the side of his heated skull, "hurts..."

"What hurts, baby?" he murmured quietly, watching his shaky hand come up and pinch his temple, "your head hurts?"

"Only on this side."

Geno pressed a light kiss to that side of his head before heading into the bathroom, dragging a small hand towel under the running faucet before wringing the excess water out. He returned to his aching husband's side, gently doubling the fabric before draping it over his overheated head, a small frown on his face at the low sigh of relief he let out.

"You still need to eat, love," he reminded in a whisper, picking up the soup at the sight of his eyes cracking open, his voided sockets staring back up at the smaller as he prepared a spoonful of the warm soup, "open up."

"I don't wanna," the god whined, turning away in attempts to escape the spoonful Geno presented only to knock the towel and be deprived of that cool relief it provided, "Geno..." he yearned for that cold press, unable to find the cloth responsible for it.

"You idiot. You have to stay still if you want the towel to stay on."

"But I don't wanna eat," the scarfed skeleton could only roll his eye at the complaint that followed his light lecturing, "my stomach hurts."

"That's because you refuse to have anything but coffee in that damn stomach of yours," he reminded sourly as he set the spoon back in the bowl, "now please lay still." He requested, the damp towel in his hands once more as he gingerly guided him back onto his back, laying the cool rag against his forehead once more.

Geno sat on the bed as well in an attempt to get Reaper to swallow a couple of spoonfuls of soup, wanting to elevate his head without forcing him to sit up, and found him helping himself to the empty spot in his lap, smiling fondly as he watched a hand reach up and comfort his round stomach.

"You know, Reaps, Goth would like it a whole lot more if you ate."

"Really?" His weak voice asked, the glance he spared up at the expecting skeleton nothing but sweet, and let out a quiet sigh as he nodded.

"He knows his daddy's strong and he wants you to be strong when he meets you," he mentioned while grabbing hold of the warm bowl, "and besides, I'm not going to let you anywhere near him if you're sick."

"But... my firstborn..." he whined, useless in changing his husband's mind, "Gen.. I want to hold him..." noticing that his added mumbles didn't weaken the smaller's stubborn hold on his decision, Reaper relented, "okay. I'll eat." The hand immediately found its place beneath his skull, tilting it up carefully as he presented a spoonful of the warm meal.

Reaper's shaky hand came up to rest atop Geno's, feeling him guide the spoon towards his mouth, and let his 'lips' part so that he could allow it to pass. As much as the god had complained about its consumption, he couldn't stem the relief that came to his achy throat as the warm liquid passed through.

"See? Was that so hard?" Geno inquired, his voice light with joy as he presented yet another small portion, this time it was far more easily accepted.

The expecting skeleton continued to feed his husband this way, the soup being slowly consumed until the bowl was bare. Now came the tricky part, getting him to take the medicine. Instead of informing the god that the soup had been finished and that this was just as necessary, he mentioned that there was one more spoonful left, his husband making his relief known as Geno fixed a spoonful of the medicine he snagged on the way back from the bathroom. To the scarfed skeleton, Reaper appeared to be none the wiser, laying back with his eyes shut as he waited for the next small portion to present itself. It was pure luck that he didn't process the strong smell of the medication, reflexively opening his mouth the second he felt a hand rub the back of his head comfortingly, and only panicked when it was the complete opposite of what he was expecting. Instead of the warm, slightly salty broth welcoming him, it was thick and very sour syrup. Geno noticed the small signs of a struggle and held a water bottle out for him to take, watching the clear liquid inside be drained almost instantly the second he swallowed the distasteful medication.

"Geno..." he whined quietly as he attempted to nuzzle into his side, feeling the smaller skeleton retreat to set the dirty dishes aside, "you tricked me..."

"You wouldn't have taken it otherwise."

"You don't know that," the god pouted, crossing his arms over his chest before rolling over onto his side, facing away from his beloved in an attempt to make his minute frustration more obvious than it had been.

"Unfortunately, I do know that."

"No, you don't."

Geno merely rolled his eye at the immature rebuttal, coming to the conclusion that any attempt to argue it would be met with the same stubborn response, "alright, sure. Come on, you need to rest," that demand wasn't given a warm welcome, listening to Reaper mumble that he wasn't tired and that he had no need to sleep. "That wasn't up for debate, now come here so I can cuddle you before I change my mind."

His husband's doting nature was the smaller's ultimate trump card, even more so since it's been some time since he had shared a bed with him, so his sudden compliance was nothing but expected. The taller waited patiently for Geno to return, watching him carefully ease into bed once more. Despite the pounding headache the god was suffering, nothing could placate the worry he surfaced at the sound of the other's whimper, not even the smile that followed shortly after.

"He kicked, nothing big," he chuckled weakly as he ushered the taller closer, watching him find comfort in the summoned thighs before resting a hand on his stomach, "can you feel him?"

The subtle shake of his head halted when he felt a sharp kick followed by a small jolt from his lover.

"Feel's like he wants out," Reaper murmured, a string of soft hums leaving him as Geno rubbed the back of his skull lovingly.

"That's your cue to get better quickly. I was serious about keeping him from you."

The whiny complaint that threatened to slip was at the tip of his tongue, biting it back when he realized it would only result in his cuddle privileges being revoked, "I will, love, I will. I-" the yawn that interrupted his husband's thought instilled some relief in Geno, "I promise."


	17. Afterdeath: It's YOU?!

"And you couldn't convince your parents at all?" Reaper winced at the small whine his boyfriend gave, shaking his head disappointingly as he thought back to the conversation he had with his parents.

"They said they already chose someone for me, that they couldn't reject them now that my 'bride to be's family confirmed it." He huffed quietly at his own words, hating how they tasted since they made the smaller so upset. He tried his hardest to get them to take Geno's family into consideration, talking up how great his family was despite not having met them, and that's when he found out it had already been arranged. "I'm sorry, love. I really wish I could've done something more."

"It's alright, Reap. I tried asking my parents and they wouldn't budge either." Reaper picked up another smooth pebble, absentmindedly rubbing his fingers over the surface of it, and chucked it toward the lake, watching it jump four to five times before sinking into the body of water with a satisfying plop. "It's not fair. Who are they to know what's better for us?" He asked sourly, shifting slightly so that he could lay his head in Reaper's lap, wanting to feel him lovingly caress his skull just as he always does whenever he was tense.

"They're your parents, Geno. They always know best." His lover laughed at the mocking voice, playfully smacking his head as he giggled. "It's not like we could run away without putting our family's name to shame," Reaper added, skipping yet another stone as they let the reality of their situation sink in.

"Yeah..." he mumbled with a small pout, Reaper giving him a small smile and a kiss to the top of his head with hopes that it would get him to mimic the smile he had on his face. Unfortunately, that little gesture didn't do anything but add a quiet whine to the preexisting pouting. "How am I going to get over you if you keep treating me like this?" Geno huffed quietly, trying to find some bad in Reaper so that he wouldn't love him as wholly as he did.

"You think I can treat you any other way after you convinced me to love you?"

"Now hold on!" Geno dropped the pout in favor of a frown and looked to Reaper as he took in that accusation. "If you remember correctly, it was your dumbass that kept swinging by my place of work and-" He didn't get to finish, dropping the accusing finger he drove into the other's chest when he heard him laugh. "You're such an ass."

"Come on, love. You know you like it~" He hummed playfully, the smaller shoving him away with a roll of his eye. "Go on, tell me what I used to get up to any time I visited your place of work. I can't seem to recall." Geno's face flushed at the recollection of those times, pushing him away as he refused to say, in turn causing Reaper to laugh at his sudden meekness to the topic. "Oh Gen, it wasn't like I brought you lunch with a loving note in it."

"That's exactly what you did!"

"Really? Huh. Well, at least I didn't constantly ask for your hand." The smaller's shocked expression was enough to earn a muted chuckle, hearing his words practically burst out from him.

"Yes, you fucking did! You came by every day asking and you always left with the same answer!"

"You know, I think my memory's coming back. I did always leave with the same answer. Always 'meet me by our lake', right?"

"You know what, I'm glad you're getting married off. You're so insufferable sometimes." He huffed, crossing his arms and turning away from the laughing skeleton completely.

"Geno~" he cooed sweetly in hopes of having his attention on him once more, "Geno~" he hummed, already catching a little smile crack the frown on his face. It was obvious that he wouldn't be able to keep up this stubborn act for much longer, "Geno, my love, my soul, my other half, my one and only, please do me the highest honors a man could have and look my way. Let me see gaze into heaven once more before we part," he lamented playfully, listening to him laugh before he did as he had asked, looking his way only to hear him gasp and coo at the sight. "What beauty, such grace. Truly, you are an angel that walks amongst us~"

"Right, with a deformed socket like this and a scar the size of this country I'm truly blessed." He scoffed in attempts to disprove the taller's words, only to feel his arms wrap around his midsection and a string of kisses be pressed at the crook of his neck before trailing to his shoulder blade.

"Of course, you are. You are truly blessed by such remarkable strength and such everlasting beauty that one cannot simply fathom how you manage to carry both with such grace," Geno playfully drove his elbow into his ribs and snickered at the sound of his pained grunt. "Talk about remarkable strength." He grumbled as he rubbed the affected area.

"Reaper," the taller hummed, dropping the pained act in favor of hearing why his name had been uttered so seriously, "I'm serious this time. How am I ever going to get over you?"

"The same way I'll get over you." He placed a brief kiss on his lips' as his grin faltered slightly, Geno gently taking hold of his face as he waited for his answer. Instead, he watched him tilt his head slightly and press a kiss to one of the palms, "I won't."

"But your spouse. They don't know we were doing this. What would they think?" He worried, resting his forehead against the taller's so that he could hear his reassuring words a whole lot better while maintaining the close proximity.

"I don't know. But what I do know is that what I feel for you is something I can't feel for someone else. Even if I force it, I won't be able to get away with it for long. They'll know I'm hiding something before I even get the chance to cover for it." That earned the taller another giggle from his boyfriend and a loving glance as he grabbed hold of his hand.

"You've always been such an awful liar. I'm surprised we haven't gotten figured out sooner because of you." Reaper had to laugh at his remark and raised his unoccupied hand in surrender.

"In my defense, I try really hard not to get caught."

"Sure you do." Geno rose to his feet, holding a hand out for Reaper to take. "I've got to get going soon. Mom wants to put me in a dress so I can save her the extra trouble." He said with a roll of his eye, a great disdain for the idea of being forced into a dress just to save face.

"How come you never wear dresses for me, love? I gotta say, I'm hurt."

"You never swung by my place otherwise I would've had to," he chuckled at the shocked expression the taller adorned at the simplicity of getting what he had always wanted.

"You're telling me it's that easy now?"

"I figured I'd tell you when you can't use it." Geno chuckled weakly, about to leave their secluded area when a thought crossed his mind, turning back and kissing Reaper, surprising the taller by the sudden affection. "Thank you, by the way."

"And what did I do to deserve the angel's gratitude?" He asked quietly as he held the smaller flush against himself, his forehead resting against his to savor every second of this interaction, possibly their last interaction.

"For showing me what it's like to be loved and..." his voice trailed off slightly, Reaper opening a socket to find his face flushing slightly, "and for giving me someone to love."

Instead of mocking him for the sappy act, the taller simply took it in stride and pressed a kiss to his nasal bone, "it was no problem, love. If that deserves gratification, then I've got to thank you for being the cutest person I've ever laid eyes on."

"Whatever," the pair shared a chuckle at the smaller's response before parting ways.

Geno returned home after waving goodbye, his soul heavy as he followed the maid up the stairs to prepare for his fiance's visit. It wasn't long until he was rushed into the bathroom and undressed. The solemn look on his face had gone unnoticed by his parents and servants, letting the servants guide his motions to strip him of the clothes he adorned and help him into the warm bath. The injured skeleton didn't process the sound of the servants leaving and door opening nor the clatter of the hanger against the metal hook. It came to his realization that he wasn't alone when the calm water had been disturbed.

"Yo bro," he spared a glance up to watch his youngest brother slip into the empty space in the large tub, setting his distracting sunglasses aside so he could look the older in the eyes, "you doing a'ight?"

"Oh, Fresh, yeah... just nervous," he chuckled weakly grabbing hold of the soap the younger skeleton offered, "has mom said anything about who's coming?"

"Nah. I know Error bro knows, but he ain't tellin' me. Says I'll rat 'im out or somethin'," he confessed with a heavy sigh, leaning back into the tub as he let the warm water deep into his bones.

Geno couldn't respond with anything other than a small 'oh', letting the conversation briefly fall into a relative silence as he got to work on cleaning his bones, "mom didn't get me a fluffy dress, yeah?"

The usually colorful skeleton shook his head to negate the idea, nodding to the dress that was hung on the back of the door. To Geno's surprise, the red floor-length dress didn't seem too appalling, even with the v-shaped neckline plunging a little further than he'd like. The thought of him donned in such elegant attire brought upon a few others, his sockets fluttering shut as a certain dark-clad skeleton's reaction surfaced in his mind. Try as hard as he might, he couldn't ignore the hands that ghosted up along his arms at a tauntingly slow pace accompanied by the face that seemed adamant about becoming one with the nape of his neck. His breath hitched when he felt his imagination conjure those same warm hands, their featherlight touch tracing the shape of his body, the pair taking their sweet time to figure out the dimensions of his chest before it could wander downwards, reminding the smaller of how easy it had been for him to tempt his magic into formation. That reminder came to an end, the red of his magic flooding his cheeks when he realized that Fresh had been calling out to him.

"Geno, you good bro? You feeling' a'ight?"

"Y-Yeah, yeah. Just- uh... nervous is all. I mean, my fiancé is coming to meet me. I think I have a right to be considering I don't know if he likes me or not."

"He'll like ya, Gen. You're da bomb, 'member?" The oldest couldn't stem his laugh and nodded, "'sides his parents seemed to like ya if they decided to come out and see ya."

"Yeah... when you put it that way..." the engaged skeleton moved, more than ready to leave the now cold bath, and watched Fresh clamber out of the tub to help him.

With a towel wrapped firmly around his own waist, he grabbed one and held it out for his older brother, the gesture reminiscent of his brother doing the same for him. "Don't bug out, I ain't lookin'," he assured as he turned his head, Geno snickering as he stepped out and into those open arms. The gentle motion of the taller skeleton wrapping the towel around his shoulders with a genuine smile on his face, well as genuine as he could make it out to be, had that anxiousness he was sensing fade, taking hold of the end and holding them together to keep his bare-bones hidden. 

"Well, I gotta split. See ya at dinner!" The usually colorful skeleton said with faux cheer before leaving Geno's side, a breathy chuckle leaving him as he disappeared.

The smaller wasted no time getting dressed to avoid the servants dressing him, wanting to seem somewhat competent and versed in the feminine clothing that would eventually dominate his closet in the near future. The dress slipped on with ease, and, to his approval, hid all that he wished to hide. His only concern was how it clung to his chest and accentuated his bust, but that was to be expected considering what he was trying to pass himself off as. The knock at the door paired with a familiar voice allowed for quick recognition, Geno allowing the door to open only to hear a sharp gasp echo clearly through the hall. It wasn't much longer until she stepped in and gushed about how radiant he looked, carrying a thin see-through-like material of the same hue over to him so that she could pin it to the shoulders, creating a cape-like feature to the dress to add some sort of an elegant, almost regal, touch to the ensemble.

"They're here, you know," the maid informed as she made little touches to his dress, "masters Error and Fresh are talking with him right now while my lady is discussing wedding plans."

"What does he look like? Human or monster?" Came Geno's question, the only one he could think of as he watched her bring forth a pair of silver heels.

"Monster, a skeletal one to be exact, master," she answered, holding her hand out as a clutch so he could slip into those foreign shoes.

"Good," he sighed, taking hold of her small hand as he stepped into the shoes he was asked to wear to dinner.

As uncomfortable as walking in them had been, Geno hated to admit how easily he had adjusted to them, soon releasing his hold on the maid's hand and thanking her for her additional assistance before heading down the halls and towards the stairs that lead to the main foyer, where he could hear the excited chattering of his mother and a few newer voices only stirring her passion for the upcoming event.

"I'm sorry, Reaper..." he mumbled to himself while he was hidden from the others, the small skeleton doing his best to subdue any thought of him before meeting who was his fiancé. The last thing he needed to do was nitpick at the other for not being Reaper.

***

Reaper had long arrived at his betrothed's home, watching with subtle boredom in his eyes as his own brother entertained their questions with all sorts of answers and stories while he waited to see who he was doomed to spend the rest of his life with. His mother and father were off to the side with his soon-to-be mother-in-law discussing the specifics and formalities of the wedding. He wasn't excluded from his brother's conversation for long, watching them being the two over so they could pose any questions they had for him. As far as he knew, his fiancé was the oldest of the three, so his mother had warned him of any sort of privacy-invading question the younger two may ask him.

"You really head off on long hunting trips?" The black bones one asked, Reaper nodding honestly.

"Yeah. Me, Grim, and my old man. We head out for about a week or two and come back with a huge haul. We keep what we want and sell the rest along with the hide. That's not our line of work though, more of a mere hobby."

"Better drop it down to a day at best. If it isn't your line of work, you don't need to be out for so long."  
The warning he administered raised a few questions for the taller, looking at Grim only to find him gesturing for him to help him reach some sort of understanding.

"I will do no such thing," he watched as his mouth opened to argue his refusal but Reaper didn't allow him the opportunity to voice that rebuttal, "that is a matter between me and my fiancé. If he feels as though I should stay by his side instead, then I will oblige happily, but that is on his say and his say alone."

That was all Reaper could manage to get out before hearing his future mother-in-law's voice disrupt their conversation. She had asked the two to see what was keeping their brother, the request to check up on him faltering as the sound of heels clicking echoed through the manor, a smile on her face as she looked to the grand staircase.

"Lord and Lady Renrik, may I present to you, my son." 

A heavy sigh left the red-clad skeleton as he heard his mother speak of him, keeping his arms relaxed and at his side as he carefully descended from the second floor. He could feel his future in-laws staring at him at every step he took, too far to hear any of the words they murmured to one another, and his gaze lowered to deliver respect to the guests. Reaper was watching the stairs as the soft click of each heel got closer, his gaze wandering from the hem of the extravagant dress he wore up to his face, sitting up almost immediately when he noted his fiancé's side profile. It wasn't until he bowed and lifted his head did Reaper find himself on his feet, his soul pounding wildly in his chest as he watched his mother-in-law introduce him to his parents.

"My oldest son, Geno CQ."

The taller skeleton could feel his soul demanding to be freed from his ribcage, his very being feeling numb as relief flooded his body at an alarming rate.

It was him.

It was really his Geno that his parents set him up with.

"A lovely pleasure it is to meet you, Geno," he heard his mother nod before ushering him to join their side, Reaper following the gesture uncharacteristically quick before bowing before the older woman and his fiancé, "my oldest, Reaper Renrik."

Reaper raised his head just a smidge, a keen smirk on his face when he saw Geno's eye dart up from the ground, finally meeting the eyes that he could feel boring into his own. The emotions the smaller was feeling were obvious to him, especially since his own weren't too far off. Disbelief, relief, love. Everything was present in such a hasty whirlwind that would've gone missed had been not been looking. With a subtle wink from the black-clad skeleton, the smaller could feel all his magic rush to his cheeks, an unmissable shade of scarlet glowing brighter as his future in-laws made note of the scene.

"Safe to say it's a yes from you both?" Geno's mother asked, the three elders accepting both Reaper's grin and Geno's flustered appearance as a mute expression of their approval, "well, we have the wedding to discuss. I suppose you two would want to spend some time becoming well acquainted with one another?"

"A splendid idea, Lady CQ," Lady Renrik concurred, giving Reaper all the permission he needed to hold a hand out towards the finely dressed skeleton.

"Sir CQ, if you'll allow me," the taller's smile widened, as impossible as that may seem when he felt the hand come and rest in his outstretched one.

"Please, Sir Renrik, allow me to show you to the gardens," Geno murmured softly, certain that he'd be holding onto every word and treasuring it considering how obviously elated he had been.

Reaper allowed himself to be dragged away from the main foyer, strengthening his hold on his excitement, his grasp on the euphoria that pulsed through him snapping the second the pair shut the door behind him. Not wanting to waste a single moment of their time together, Reaper scooped the smaller up into his arm, giddy laughter filling the air as he spun them around.

"You asshole! You're such a little shit! You seriously scared me!" Despite the string of insults, the usual playful bite was flooded with elation that was far too uncharacteristic for his lover.

"I scared you?" Reaper laughed, pressing kiss after kiss to his face and trailing them down his neck and chest, his soul thrumming with every giggle he managed to elicit, "you scared me! I thought I'd never see you again!"

"You couldn't ask for my name?" Geno asked in between chuckles, resting his forehead against the taller's as he listened to his deep laughter bubble out.

"You didn't ask for mine either, now did ya?" The black-clad skeleton retorted playfully, the two sharing another bout of laughs before the smaller could feel the ground beneath his feet once more. Reaper took hold of his lover's- no, fiancé's hands, leaning back an iota to take in the other's dolled up appearance, "and would you look at that. I did get to see you in a dress." Geno couldn't stem his giggles, throwing a light punch to the taller's chest before leaning against it.

"And only you get to keep seeing me in one before the public does," he murmured breathlessly, his tone soaked in bliss once he felt his partner's arms wrap around him.

"All this love is a little out of character for you, hun," Surprisingly, Reaper's playful jab barely put a dent in the smaller's enthusiasm, feeling him nuzzle into his hold, "any reason?"

"My secret boyfriend is going to be my husband," the scarfed skeleton, with barely contained excitement, reached up to meet his 'lips' for a moment, "being a bit out of character would be expected-" the doorknob coming to life had his thought come to a screeching halt, both taking a step back to create enough distance for whoever the intruder might be, Geno sparing a glance back at the door once it creaked open, a small smile on his face at the sight of his glitching brother. "You need something?"

"Mom told me to let you guys know dinner's ready," Error mentioned, jutting his thumb back into the house to urge them to hurry, "the chefs made the best buffet."

"We'll be right there," Geno assured, watching him retreat, a chuckle slipping him the second he felt a pair of arms snake around his waist, "think you could keep your hands off me?"

"When you're looking this cute? Never~" the smaller scoffed at his words, rolling his eye as he felt those warm hands begin their journey, and placed his own over them to halt their travels.

"Well, you're going to have to. A dinner, with my mother, and you're hoping to feel me up from under the table?"  
"I mean, you have all the parts summoned, I'm sure~"

"Reaper," Geno warned, the smile that sparked from the chortle that left the taller only proving how lightly his advice should be taken, "I'm serious."

The quiet laughter he emitted calmed and he nodded, "alright. I won't. Only because you asked so nicely." The smaller scoffed at the reason behind his compliance, an almost silent 'whatever' following it as the pair returned to the manor.


	18. Afterdeath: I'm just tryin' to get home

The harsh rain pelted the moving car mercilessly, lightning occasionally flashing in an attempt to provide light to the already dark roads. The thunder booming overhead hardly worried the driver, Reaper continuing to pick up on the speed in hopes of getting home before the storm got worse. All hope was crushed as his speed started to decline.

"No, no, no. Not here..."

Despite the driver's wish, the old car groaned to a stop. The black-clad skeleton placed the car in park, an annoyed huff leaving him as he shut the car off. With a quick flick of his wrist, he turned the key, listening to the engine sputter on for a couple of seconds before dying off completely, leaving him to listen to the rain pick up. In a fit of rage, he slammed his hand against the steering wheel, rolling his eyes at the horn momentarily breaking the silence that settled. He spared a glance over at the passenger seat, grabbing his jacket and rifling through the pockets to find his phone, that one percent he had when leaving work drained before he could even take advantage of it. He pulled his jacket on, flipping the thick hood up as he prepared himself for the harsh weather to greet him. He pushed the door open and stepped out quickly, slamming it behind him as he ran towards the gas station down the street. He didn't stop running until he was safely hidden under the metal shade, heavy pants littering his breathing. Reaper produced his wallet from the back pocket of his pants and frowned at the sight of the few quarters that reside in his billfold. Once counted, he found that he only had enough for four calls, certain that two was all he truly needed. He pushed two quarters through the slit and dialed his girlfriend's number, confident that she must be worried about his lack of presence in their home and wanted to assure her that he was well on his way. That confidence started to wane as the call continued to ring before cutting straight to voicemail.

"No way she didn't pick up... the phone's probably too far," he assured himself and dialed again. His soul stopped as he listened to the same sickening ring. quietly begging her to pick up, "come on tor... pick up, pick up, pick up..." it continues for a minute before cutting to voicemail once more, hearing her soothing sweet voice once more explain that she wasn't able to attend the call.

He fished out two more quarters and shoved them into the machine, dialing her number once more and clinging to the phone helplessly. This was no longer about informing her of his whereabouts. Now it was about the concern of her wellbeing, unable to forgive himself if he returned from his business trip to find her unwell. The call clicked, a gasp leaving him as he finally breathed only to choke at the gruff voice on the other end.

"Who is this?"

It was as if the wind was knocked out of Reaper, the skeleton hunching over the phone booth as he desperately tried to convince himself that he must've misdialed, that he slipped up all three times and this was someone who had no affiliation with his girlfriend, but he couldn't dismiss that familiar deep voice. It was reiterated time and time again in his mind, his thoughts refusing to leave until the owner of it was identified. There seemed to be a second condition when considering whether or not he should end the call, coming in the form of that sweet angelic voice that told him twice before that the owner of the cell was unable to attend the call whined about her phone getting more attention than her and asked who was on the other side.

"Some scam call, Tor." Was all he heard before the line was cut, a near-death grip on the body of the phone as it continued to buzz.

Had it not been for the clap of thunder, Reaper would have remained standing and staring at the brick walls of the gas station. The black-clad skeleton willed his hand to reveal the last two quarters, shakily slipping them into the slot before staring at the dial pad. His head went through countless numbers, unsure which one to call in such a state of emotional unrest, and found them moving on their own. It didn't matter if the last call went to waste. He had no desire to go home anymore, resting up in his broken-down car seeming more pleasant than walking in on his girlfriend in such a compromising state. The call rang once, knocking the taller out of the short-lived stupor, before it was answered, Reaper waiting to hear a voice before disclosing any sort of information.

"Hello?" The upset skeleton let out a quiet whimper at the sound of his voice, "hello? Who is this?" He asked once more, Reaper letting out a shuttered breath before saying anything.

"G-Geno?" He called out tentatively.

"Reaper?! It's three in the morning! What're you doing up? What number is this?" He scolded, pausing his tirade when the taller sniffled. "Never mind, don't answer that. What happened?"

"Think y-you can call a tow for m-me? I'm at a payphone and I-I don't wanna risk the line c-cutting out..."

"Stars above," he muttered, Reaper weakly chuckling at the worry that riddled the annoyed expression, "where are you? Are you hurt?"

"A g-good few feet from the gas station on W-Westwood."

"And you're wet?" The sound of bed sheets rustling could be heard from the phone, Reaper paying it no mind as he laughed quietly at the double entendre.

"Heh, it'd b-be hard in my case, but no." The groan that followed helped ease the cloud of negativity that shrouded his soul slightly.

"Fuck you," he muttered jokingly, "anyway. I'm heading out to come pick you up. Stay at your car-"

"You don't have to do all that. I'll get it towed to-"

"To a damn mechanic. I'm not letting you fight me on this one, Reaps. They're taking your car to a mechanic and I'm going to take you home."

"Without buying me dinner first." He remarked, practically hearing him roll his single eye from the other side.

"Yes," he heard a door slam shut and a pair of keys jingle, "you got caught in a bad one, Reap. Is the rain pouring there too?"

"Yeah. Last time I ever tried to come home early as a surprise..."

"What'd you-" the call cut, the automated message informing him of the time he paid for being completed.

He returned the phone to its receiver and decided to stay put under the shade. With his back flush against the walls, he slid down and took a seat, sorting out his emotions while he waited. Even though there were tears spilling over the edge of his sockets, he couldn't help but be frustrated by her actions. Winds picked up and the direction shifted, now rendering the shade useless as the cold rain began pelting the skeleton mercilessly.

'So much for having eyes for me.'

His thoughts grumbled as ones similar to that took form, blanketing his mind in such awful thoughts that seemed to want him to harbor the blame for himself. Every one of them forced him to drive a fist harder onto the concrete beneath, each hit making one disappear and a new self-deprecating one replaced it. With all his vexation spent, he was left with sorrow, the tears mixing with the rain that struck his features and pain that radiated from his now damaged hand.

"W-Why doesn't she want me a-anymore?" He finally sobbed out, ill aware of the rain no longer attacking him. "W-Why'd she have to do that?"

"You don't deserve this." The familiar voice got his fixated gaze to falter, sparing a glance up at the kind stranger only to catch sight of a familiar red blur. He moved to clear his vision only to feel a hand come up and do that for him, clearly seeing Geno squatted down to his level and an umbrella shielding them both from the rain's abuse. "Come on, Reaps. You can stay at my place tonight." Reaper accepted the hand offered to him, rising to his feet only to watch his friend fall a few inches short.

"W-Want me to hold this?" Though his voice was broken, Geno was able to pick out a mere ounce of amusement at the teasing he sent his way, accepting it if it meant that he no longer had to see his face littered with tears.

"Sure, you tall son of a bitch." He chuckled, allowing the umbrella to slip from his grasp once the taller had taken a firm hold of it. "Got anything you need to take out of your car?"

"Y-Yeah. The tow guys there?"

Geno nodded as they walked over to the vehicle that remained at a standstill, "they're friends of mine, so don't worry about paying." He added as they approached it, the umbrella now in the white-clad skeleton's possession as Reaper produced a small suitcase and a backpack. "Thanks for the help!" Geno called out once the back door slammed shut, waving to his friend before helping Reaper into the car, "I brought a towel in case you were drenched. We get home, you're taking a warm shower and going to bed. Have dinner yet?" The taller silently shook his head, Geno nodding as he added that onto the list of tasks Reaper had to accomplish. "Now, before you get in," he reached in and snagged the thick towel, draping it over his shoulders before wrapping it around him, "there."

"Hey Gen..." Geno looked at his friend as he called out his name, finally catching something other than a frown or more tears, "thanks..."

"It's my job to take care of your dumbass," he reminded as he shrugged off the apology, the light smile on his face clearly betraying his nonchalant acceptance.

Reaper picked up on the subtle sign and chuckled, wrapping the towel around himself to retain some warmth as the heat kicked in, "you certainly don't have to," he prompted playfully, working at wiping both the water and the masked tears away while the other drove.

"Who's gonna watch your stupid ass if I don't?" He scoffed, his amusement on this conversation well expressed despite the hidden signs, and the taller laughed.

"Only my ass?"

The black-clad skeleton laughed at how immediate the red magic flooded the smaller's face and how his grasp on the wheel tightened significantly, "you know what I meant, asshole."

"Again with my ass. What is up with you today, Geno?~"

"I shoulda let you rot at the payphone," his muttering gave the taller yet another reason to chuckle, "I'm serious!"

"I believe ya. Oh don't worry, I believe ya," Reaper's mock attempt to placate his companion had gone as well as he had suspected, which only lead to him frustrating him further, the driver both flustered and fuming as he tried to move past the conversation.

After moments of silence and the car coming to a brief pause at the stop sign did the soaked skeleton hear a heavy sigh, a smile on his face as he heard the same lie he's always heard slip from his mouth effortlessly, "... you're insufferable."

"And yet you love me anyway," he grinned as the vehicle came to a halt in the driveway, watching the garage open up.  
Geno's face could've put a tomato to shame, wondering if the asshole actually knew or if it was another one of his little teases going a little too far, "I hate the fact that you know that."

"Abuse it every chance I get," he chuckled as he stepped out of the parked car, safely shielded from the rain by the roof over his head. Before he let the joke get too out of hand, he peered into the car to find Geno shutting it off and closing the garage, "in all honesty though, thanks Geno. I really don't know where I'd be without you."

"Still stuck in the rain," he shot back in a childish manner as he got out of the car closing the door behind him with a low thud. Though he didn't peg Reaper as the type to genuinely express any form of gratitude without it trailing off into some sort of joke, he knew well enough not to take any moment like this for granted, a smile on his face as he nodded, acknowledging his words and accepting them, "but you're welcome." As brief as that moment had been, Geno returned to his usual mannerism, persistently ushering Reaper towards the guest bathroom before setting off to work on making something filling for the taller to consume.


	19. Poth: Swapfell: I can't believe you sometimes

Gloom trudged into his home, dragging his dust-covered bloody scythe behind him as he made his way to the couch. He dropped the staff, the noise echoing throughout the empty house, as he tried to get some sleep. 

“Pibs!” He called out, hoping to at least see his face before he passed out. “Pibs! I’m home!” He shouted, the lack of response worrying him. 

He pulled out his phone from his back pocket, scrolling through the various contacts he had to find his lover’s name. He dialed his number and had it send him straight to his voicemail. He tried again only to get the same result. 

‘Maybe he’s just with mom and dad.’ He thought hopefully. 

He quickly dialed his mom’s phone, hearing it ring twice before the call picked up. 

“Hi, Gloom! How was work?” His mother figure asked worriedly, “I didn’t mean to drop those extra shifts on you.” 

“It’s fine. I got it done is all that matters.” He huffed, about to carry out the conversation if not for the lack of noise in his own home. “Is Pibs over at your place?” 

“No, I haven’t seen him today.” He answered honestly. 

“Fuckin’ damn.” He muttered under his breath. “Thanks anyway. I’ll talk to you later. Bye.” Gloom hung up the phone after hearing his mom say his goodbyes. 

Gloom let out a pained grunt as he tried to sit up, his back still sore from carrying all the souls to the underworld. He managed in the end, summoning his scythe to avoid having to bend down and pick it up. He stomped over to the door, tossing it open to find Pibbidi already standing in front of him with a brown bag of groceries covering his face. 

“S-Sorry I couldn’t answer your call.” He stammered, burying his face into the bag. 

Gloom let out a heavy sigh of relief, holding the door open for him as he ushered him inside. 

“I’m just glad you’re alright.” He admitted, taking a seat that the table so he could help him unpack if he needed it. 

“I-I’ll be alright in here. Y-You should rest since you look tired.” Pibbidi advised, his back turned to him as he organized the pantry. 

Gloom hummed, about to get up when he noticed that he never once looked at him since he got home. 

“Pibs.” He called out, seeing his back stiffen when his name was said. “Come here.” 

“L-Let me just-“ 

“Pibs, I mean now.” Gloom demanded, watching him slowly push himself off the ground. “Look at me, please.” He asked, hoping the kindness he showed would calm him down from his earlier attitude. 

“Please don’t be mad.” He begged, covering his face as he turned around. 

“Sweetheart, I won’t be. Let me see what’s wrong.” 

“Promise?” Gloom sighed, giving a slow nod. 

“Of course I promise.” He answered, Pibbidi moving his hands away to reveal what he had been hiding. 

Gloom’s eyelight vanished when he saw the cracks that branched down from his left socket, Pibbidi covering it quickly when he saw his reaction. 

“G-Gloom, you said you-“ he tried to remind him of his promise. 

“Who did this to you?” He growled dangerously low, his scythe in his hand and glowing brightly. 

“I-I don’t know their name, b-but-“ 

“Did you swing at them?” He asked, Pibbidi nodding furiously. 

“T-That’s what got me this.” He admitted nervously, Gloom’s eyelight still not in his socket. 

“Then you should’ve dropped it!” He scolded, walking over to him with a green light emitting from his hands. “I’m disappointed in you, Pibs. I thought you knew better than to take on someone bigger than you.” 

“I-I’m sorry. He was saying something bad about you and I just-“ Gloom let out a heavy sigh as he rested his palm over his injured socket. 

“This is Swapfell, sweetheart. Of course, there are going to be people that shit talk.” He mumbled, his eyelight glowing dimly now. “This is going to sting.” He advised, shaking his head shortly after. “I can’t believe you’d do something like this to yourself.” 

“I’m sorry,” Pibbidi repeated, his eyelights looking away from his lover’s gaze. 

Gloom glanced into his sockets, seeing a few dark orange tears pooling at the corners. He let out a shallow breath, focusing on healing his wound. 

“Did you win?” He asked, Pibbidi looking up to him with his head cocked. 

“What?” 

“The fight you started.” He chuckled, brushing his thumb against both sockets to wipe away those tears. “Did you kick ass?” He smiled, the cracks slowly mending together. 

“Fuck yeah I did.” He laughed, Gloom pulling his hand away to view his now healed socket. “No one gets to talk shit about you except for me.” 

“Wouldn’t want it any other way.” Gloom snickered, pressing a gentle kiss against his temple. “Now I’m really fucking tired. Wanna watch a movie?” 

“You ask like I would say no.” Pibbidi teases as he walks back into the kitchen to pop some popcorn. “You want anything?” 

“Just you~” 

“Shut the fuck up.” Pibbidi laughed, the microwave door popping open once the timer rang. "What are we watching?” 

“Whatever you want.” Gloom answered, lying his head in his boyfriend’s lap, the popcorn bowl resting behind him as Pibbidi skimmed through the titles. 

Gloom didn’t get the chance to see what he selected since he passed out too fast, earning Pibbidi’s soft laugh and a gentle kiss to his temple.


	20. Poth: Underfell: Just a drop will do

The clanking of keys echoed down the concrete hall. It continued to get louder and louder as he approached the one prisoner the facility had contained on that floor. It stopped when he has reached his destination. Silence settled when the last footstep was heard. Then came a gruff voice accompanied by the sound of keys hitting one another.

"You got two minutes."

Those words haunted the prisoner. Two minutes wasn't long enough to convince his husband that all would be well. It wasn't enough time for him to convince himself that everything will work out as he had planned. The cell door groaned to life, creating its ungodly noise as it scraped against the prison floor. The prisoner was yanked out of the cell by his chains and shoved to the ground once he was out.

"Healers like you don't deserve even a minute to live, let alone two." The officer grumbled, grabbing hold of the back of his orange uniform to pull him up to his feet.

"I've told you in the confession hall. I didn't do anything and I didn't betray anyone!" His statement went ignored once again and he rolled his eyelights in annoyance. "Don't I get granted a death wish or something like that?" He inquired, earning a harsh glare from him as he pushed him down the empty corridors.

"You got two minutes before your death sentence. Isn't that enough?"

"Can't I get some flowers for my family?" This earned him a skeptical look from the officer, "Something? Anything for condolences?"

The officer's glare softened for a moment. The mere suggestion of a condolence gift made him want to believe that he didn't deserve the punishment he was getting. If it weren't for his chains being dragged against the floor, the guard would've never come back to his senses. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a dead rose, thorns intact.

"How'd you-" He didn't get to finish his smug thought.

"Might as well have them know you're as dead as it anyway." He dropped the plant into his awaiting hand, knowing very well that he got him to shut up quickly, and shoved him along the empty halls.

The sudden change in brightness had the prisoner wince lightly as he hid his face in his hands.

"Cupcake?" The prisoner looked up to find his husband in shock. He hadn't heard that name in years due to isolation and that was enough to bring him to tears.

"Pudding!" He rushed to the window that separated the two, pressing his hands against the glass to see him do the same.

"I've missed you!" He noticed the cracks along his right socket and growled at the thought of someone hurting his cupcake, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. That was from my first year here. But that's not the point. I don't have much time. I've got to go soon, but here." He slid the rose to him and saw the horror in his eyes when he held it. "Everything will be fine. I'll be back soo-"   
His words came to a stop when he felt four hands grab hold of him.

"Two minutes are up."

"Wait! That wasn't two minutes! Wait!" He thrashed against their hold, "Rurik!"

"Cupcake!" He cried out, balling his hands into fists to slam them against the magic-proof glass, "Bring him back to me, you assholes!" He ran alongside them until they passed through another set of double doors. "Son of a bitch!"

He fell to the ground with tears welling up in his sockets and a scowl plastered across his face. He glanced down to the flower he held in his hands and noticed the red on the thorns and the stain on his palms. His sockets widened as his gaze darted from the plant to the doors. He picked himself up and ran out of the prison with no idea where to go next. All he wanted was a secluded area in case he had to mourn his loss.

Once he was thrown into the execution room, the metal doors were sealed shut. All that was contained in this dark room was him, the three officers assigned to delivering this penalty, and the electric chair in the center. Lotus turned around with fear in his eyes.

"Lotus, you have been charged with healing another while the base was-" He didn't want to hear what his charges were. He just wanted to leave the prison alive.

"I had to, you headass! That was my husband! You think I'm going to let him die?!" He argued, tears pooling at the ends of his sockets before they actually trailed down.

"When under attack, look after the king, not your husband." The prosecutor reminded.

"Please! Give me another chance! I'll make it up! I swear!" He panicked when they grabbed hold of him.

His resistance was of no use. He was locked into the chair and was tied down tightly. The ropes that restricted him almost cut into his bones, but that didn't stop him from fighting against them.

"Start at 100 milliamps."

With that order confirmed, the shock was sent. Only it didn't last for a quick second. It continued to electrocute him. That dose was enough to stop the soul, but they wanted more. They wanted to see his dust fly.

"Bump up to 200."

The dial turned slightly and his agonized screaming increased as if tearing apart their eardrums. Then it stopped. The administration of electricity ceased and the room fell silent. The officer that escorted him to his death approached him to pick up the pile of dust that rested on the chair.

"That's one less traitor on our streets." He snickered, the two others smirking at their supposedly good deed.

While they were celebrating, Rurik wasn't hold up so well. He stared at the rose, the blood-covered thrones mocking him as he waited.

'He said it'll take only a minute. Where the fuck is he?' He thought, feeling his anxiety consume him with every minute that passed by.

'Maybe he's gone for real.' He shuddered at the thought of his husband being dead. 'Maybe he said that to reassure me. Lotus, you can't leave me like this, you bitch.' He thought as he slapped the tears off his face.

He let out a shuddered gasp when he saw his blood begin to move, dropping the flower to the ground and stepping away for distance. He watched in awe as the small droplets traced out the outline of his body and came to rest where his soul would be when its purpose was complete. Rurik stared intently as the blood divided again and again until it filled the mold. The bone marrow followed after, creating his skeleton, and, just like that, he sat up dazed and confused, but smiled when he saw his face light up.

"It worked?!" He tackled him in a hug and felt him return the gesture, "I thought you were fucking kidding! I thought I lost you forever!" He laughed, tears rolling down his cheekbones.

He rubbed his back reassuringly, "You can't get rid of me that easily."

That earned him his soft laughter. "Why would I want to get rid of you?!"

Lotus pulled away slightly and pressed a kiss to his forehead before he was pulled into another embrace.  
"I guess this means we're moving somewhere else now?" Lotus humored, Rurik leaning back to see a teasing smile on his husband's face.

"Unless you wanna get caught." He laughed, Lotus joining in with soft snickers, "You know that wherever you go, I'm right there with you."

"Then let's head on out so I can actually get dressed."

"I think I like you a little better like this~" Lotus rolled his eyelight as a soft chuckle escaped him.

"Yeah fuck that. I'm getting dressed." He held Rurik's hand in his, and, with a soft blink of his sockets, they were teleported elsewhere to restart their life.


	21. Poth: Are you serious?!

Goth took a deep breath, staring nervously at the pregnancy test package that was resting on the bathroom sink. Part of him was hoping it'd come out positive and the other half was begging that he was overthinking his symptoms.

"Four kids." He mumbled, pressing his back against the door as he slowly slid down into a seated position. "We already have four kids. What are we going to do if there's going to be a fifth?"

Goth rested his head in his hand as he contemplated his next moves. His mind created countless questions with scenarios that branched from each one. Most were positive considering who his husband was, but the handful of negative ones were enough to make him hesitant.

"Better now than never." He muttered, grabbing hold of the sink as he hoisted himself off the floor.

He pulled the test out of the package, throwing the empty box away, and took the test. He waited a few seconds for his results, sitting on the toilet cover as his leg bounced anxiously. Goth's sockets widened when he saw the result, a heavy sigh leaving him as he placed the cover back on, and walked out the bathroom with a small smile on his face.

"I'm sure we can get through another one." He said aloud, walking over to the kitchen to grab his smoothie off the front counter, and headed upstairs to unwind in their bedroom.

He rested his cup on his nightstand, switching on the lamp on his side as he pulled out the novel he was reading from the drawer. He picked up his glasses, resting them softly on his nasal bone, and began reading. The pages flew just as fast as time did. Goth barely kept track of either until he heard the doorbell ring. His eyelight never left the page until he reached the end of his sentence, having his finger lightly grazing against the final word before getting up. He got out of bed, his gaze falling onto the positive pregnancy test, and he felt his soul pound. He rested that in his book, leaving it as is as he hurried to the staircase, and descended quickly to unlock the door. There stood Palette with both hands occupied, one being with a take-out bag and the other containing a few movies.

"I'm going to guess you were reading again." Goth hummed and nodded, reaching up to press a kiss against his husband's cheekbone.

"When am I not?" He humored, closing and locking the door before he followed him into the living room. "The kids wanted to spend the weekend at their uncle PJ's and he surprisingly didn't mind." He added, Palette laughing at that.

"They're in it for the video games." He joked, Goth letting out a soft chuckle as he nudged him softly. "Well, I hope you don't mind watching a few movies with me. They were in the clearance aisle and I couldn't resist." Goth laughed at that as he shook his head.

"I don't mind. What'd you bring?" He gestured to the bag in hand as he pushed the coffee table closer to the couches.

"Just some Chinese food. Nothing too big." He answered as he rested the take-out boxes on the table.

Goth pulled the thin blanket out from the coffee table drawers, switching on one of the side lamps before he sat down. Palette stole the seat beside him after he placed the first movie in, Goth leaning into his hold as he made himself comfortable, and Palette pressed play. Goth picked up his take-out box and ripped the plastic quickly to reach the spoon, Palette laughing at his behavior.

"I was starving. Sue me." Goth joked, taking the first bite and letting out a delighted moan. "This is really good." He mumbled, not even waiting to finish his first bite before taking in his second.

"Nothing but the best for you." Palette purred, pressing a kiss to the top of his head as he picked up his own box.  
Silence fell after his comment, both either focus on the movie or their food, sometimes both. They made side comments here and there, Goth occasionally chiming in to give his opinion on the screenwriting and Palette on set design. Both felt that their experiences in those fields were justifiable for their criticism. An hour of silence passed, both done with their unfinished meals.

"Hey, Pal?" Goth whispered, hoping not to disturb him if he had fallen asleep.

"Yeah?" He sighed, placing both boxes back on the coffee table. "Need a drink too?"

"Actually. I forgot my smoothie upstairs on my nightstand. Can you grab it for me and my book? That's on our bed." Palette let out a soft groan at the mentioning of him going upstairs, Goth pressing a loving kiss to his cheekbone as he paused the movie. "I promise I won't play it until you come back."

"Okay." He whined playfully, Goth giggling as he headed upstairs.

"Gothy?! Where- Oh! Never mind! Found the smoothie!" He called out, Goth snickering as he heard the pitter-patter of his husband's feet scurry across the second floor. "Gothy?! Are you serious?!"

Goth's soul raced when he heard his voice break the few moments of silence he was in, a heavy thump signaling that he had tripped over his own feet in a hurry. He heard him get up quickly and run into the game room before rushing down the stairs to see him. As soon as he was close enough, he jumped over the last few steps, his socks causing him to slide a few inches past the staircase as he showed off the positive pregnancy test.

"Is this for real?!" He asked, his star-shaped eyelights twinkling with excitement.

Goth said nothing but nodded with a faint lavender hue dusting his cheekbones as he tried to hide in the blankets.

"Oh, my stars!" He cheered, exchanging glances with the test and him before he launched himself into the spot he was, hugging Goth tightly as he talked about their unborn child.

"Oh! We definitely have to tell our parents!" Goth laughed as he regarded his in-laws as his own parents. "Uncle Blue for sure, maybe even our other parents if they pick up the phone this time. Oh! Oh! And PJ and Gradient and Raven and Sorrell! Oh! And Shino and Xahji too! They'd definitely want to know about our number 5."

"Palette, calm down." Goth teased, Palette letting out a soft chuckle as he realized how far he had taken it. "I just found out about them today."

"But I'm just so happy!" He cheered, pressing several light kisses on Goth as he listened to his adorable giggles bubble out. "I can't believe we're about to have another child." He murmured, resting his hand over Goth's still flat stomach.

"I know." He mumbled, resting his hand over Palette's. "It's kinda weird though." Palette hummed at his comment, confused by what he meant by that. "I mean, everyone else had either one or two kids, and we're already on our fifth."

"Should we place our bets now or later?" Goth laughed at his offer and shrugged.

"There are only two options we can choose from and I'm still sticking with them being a girl." He teased, Palette laughing as he peppered his face with soft kisses.

"I guess I'll be right for a fifth time in a row if I stick with them being a boy." Goth shoved him away playfully, earning more of his infectious laughs before he could tighten his grip on him and hug him close again. "Can I see them yet?"

Goth's wide smile softened as he shook his head, raising his shirt up to show the magic still stirring in his stomach. "I had to find out with the test, otherwise I wouldn't have known."

"When do they form again?" Palette rested his hand over Goth's stomach carefully and waited for an answer, only to feel him shrug once again.

"I dunno. They just do." He answered truthfully, "maybe we can catch it this time."

"Hopeful- Oh stars!" Goth jolted at his sudden volume and found him staring down at the magic.  
Goth's gaze traveled down to his stomach and saw the soulling take its tiny form. He glanced over at Palette and found his eyelights twinkling with the same excitement they had when he found out about the pregnancy.

"Fifth times the charm, huh?" Goth joshed lightly, Palette burying his face into the smaller's neck.

"Oh my goodness." He hummed softly, "I love you so freaking much!" Goth felt his face flush heavily as he leaned into his hold and accepted the tender loving he was receiving.

"I love you too, Pally." He murmured after he felt his husband's peppering kisses come to an end.


	22. Poth: Happier

Cray was surprised to see Goth calling at such a late hour and answered quickly.

"Hello? Goth?" He heard a sniffle followed by a choked sob, his soul shattering into a million pieces as he heard his best friend try to hold himself together. "Just let it out, G. I'm here for ya."

"P-Palette's mad at me." Cray jolted up in bed, a million positive thoughts running through his head as he thought about what Goth just said.

'Maybe this is my chance!' A soft magenta to green gradient flashed on his face as his soul thrummed happily. He had to maintain his comforting voice, not trying to give his intentions away at such an ill time.

"Did he say that explicitly?"

"H-He w-won't even talk to me..." Cray winced at the cracks in his voice, hearing him try to hold it back as best as he could. A heavyweight began to press on his soul, Cray letting out a shallow breath so that he could pay more attention to his distressed friend. "I-I don't know w-what I did w-wrong." He hiccuped lightly as a fresh set of tears began to pour from his sockets.

'Goth doesn't deserve to be crying like this.' The thought struck him when he felt his soul grow heavier, clutching his chest uselessly as he listened to Goth ramble on.

"I-I l-love him, Cray." He felt as though his soul began to chip at his words, holding back any sounds of pain. Oh, if only Goth knew how much those words hurt him. "A-And he won't e-even look at m-me." There was a small break, the muffled sound of tissues being pulled out giving Cray more than enough guilt for the mistakes and he made throughout the day. "I d-don't know w-what to do a-anymore." Cray shut his sockets, pinching his nasal bone as he felt guilty thoughts consume his mind at a fast pace. "H-He's never acted like this..."

'This is all my fault.' 

'No. No, it's not! You didn't do anything!' His mind countered, not wanting to accept the fact that his minor threat was the reason behind why his best friend crying now.

'I have to make things right.'

'You loved him first. This is right!' Cray shook his head as he tried to disband that thought. One thought came clear to his head, now looking to his phone blankly as he processed it again and again.

'I just want him to be happier... I want him to be happier and he's happier with Palette, not me.' It hurt to think about, but it was the truth. The sooner he accepted that, the easier it'd be to help his friend cope for the time being. 

"Goth?" He mumbled after an eternity of silence dragged on between them, hearing the rustling of his sheets in the background to assure him that he hadn't cried himself to sleep. "Give me Palette's number." He wanted to punch himself for doing this, but there was no other option left that'll assure him Goth's happiness.

'I want to see you smile, even if that means I'll have to leave.' He thought sadly as he heard his stammer over his words a few times before being able to formulate a proper sentence.

"Cray, p-please don't tell him about what I told you." He begged pathetically, only making his soul double over in the shame of his actions from earlier today.

"I won't. I just want to see what's up, maybe help you guys sort out this misunderstanding. I promise." He hoped that, with the added sincerity of his voice, he'd accept his assistance. The call fell silent once more, Cray about to call out to see if he passed out due to emotional exhaustion, but saw a message from him pop up and consume his screen.

"O-Okay. I sent it."

"Talk to you in the morning, G." He bid, hanging up the call and dialing up the new number he's received. The call continued to ring, hearing the noise for the first time and started to drum his fingers against his sternum. "Come on Pal. Pick up the damn phone." He grunted when hearing it ring a second time. "I'm actually doing you a favor. Pick up, damn it." Palette picked up a little after that, Cray picking up on the subtle sound of Palette catching his breath. "What the hell are you doing to him, Roller?" Cray sighed, hearing him clear his throat before he decided to speak up.

"W-Who is this?" As predicted, his voice was raspy similar to how Goth's was, but he had to give it to him. He kept his pain in pretty well. Another heavy sigh left Cray as he started to introduce himself yet again.

"It's Cray." Palette's end of the call went silent, the subtle sound of him blowing his nasal cavity,

"You sound upset." A quiet sniffle echoed in the call, Cray beating himself up as he resisted the urge to hang up and ruin what they had. "Aren't you happy that I'm not in the picture anymore?"

"Ecstatic, really." He mumbled sarcastically, the truth swelling behind that subtle tone. "What you're doing right now is hurting him more than helping me." He failed to hear anything on the other side. "He likes you Palette, loves you actually."

"H-He does? B-But y-you said-" Cray pinched his nasal bone as he recalled exactly what moment he was about to use against him.

"It doesn't apply anymore. I may have had the intention of something more," he let out another heavy sigh to get over the lump in his throat, "but he doesn't."

"Oh." The call fell silent, not even the sound of either of them breathing could be heard through the call.

"Shoot your shot tomorrow during the breakfast we had planned, Roller. I'll show up later, and text him that I forgot or something." He could feel his mind twist in all sorts of directions as he tried to wrap his head around why he was willingly giving up his chances. Sure, Goth was crying, but he was his best friend. He could cheer him up and win him over with a few months of helping him heal. The sound of his best friend crying rang clear in his mind, reminding him that his soul yearned for Palette and mocked him for not having a single chance with him.

"What about you?" Cray blinked back as he thought about that. After all he had done to split the two, Palette still held a place of genuine concern for him in his soul.

"I'm heading out in a few hours anyway. I wouldn't be there long enough to actually get him over you if that's even possible." Another quiet 'oh' left the speaker, Cray nodding uselessly as he threw away his hopes of having Goth to himself.

"You just got here. Why aren't you staying?" Cray pinched the bridge of his nasal bone, screwing his sockets shut in annoyance as he tried to come up with an excuse not far from the truth.

'Damn Roller, just forget about me. I can't stay because now I have no reason to stay.'

"I just came on my leave to see how Goth was holding up without me." Palette let out a soft hum in response, another nod leaving Cray out of habit. "Yeah. Last time I saw him, I was his only friend. You're a good kid, Roller. If Goth deserves anyone, it'd be you." He hated the way those words tasted as they left his mouth, wishing he had gone mute before admitting to something like that but knew that it was the honest truth. "Treat him right or I swear I'll-"

"I don't think I could. Goth doesn't deserve that, not after everything he puts up with." A sigh of relief left the spray paint artist, a quiet chuckle leaving Palette when he picked up on that small noise. "A-Are we good?"  
There was no use fighting him anymore, he won Goth's love and there was nothing he could do to change the outcome. 

"Yeah. We're good as long as you stay on Goth's good side."

"I guess we might as well be friends."

"You pushing your luck, Roller." He growled, hating the small smile that fought its way onto his face when he heard him laugh. "See you guys next time I visit."

"See ya," Cray moved his phone away from his head, close to hanging it up when he heard Palette speak up, "Oh! And Cray?"

"What now?"

"Thanks." A moment of silence passed by the two after he said that simple word, Cray staring at his phone as he tried to come up with a proper response. "I know how much you loved Goth and I can't thank you enough-" Cray cut him off before he could add anything else to that.

"Don't mention it." He hung up the call immediately after to avoid carrying the conversation, falling back into bed as an involuntary yawn escaped him. As he teetered on the subject of sleep, his eyes opening and closing, a single thought came to his head, one that put a melancholic smile on his face.

'You're happier with him. There's nothing I could do to change that...'


	23. Poth: Underfell: Thru your phone

A heavy grunt followed the sound of the door slamming shut, Lotus glancing up from his book to find his boyfriend trudging in with a trail of mud behind him.

"I just mopped the floors, hoe." He grumbled, his boyfriend's tired gaze meeting his.

"Can you not give me some shit tonight? I already had enough shit at work." He retorted, throwing his wallet and phone onto the couch. "Imma take a long ass shower." He mumbled, heading down the hall as soon as he slipped his muddy boots off.

"How long?" Lotus asked, shutting his book once his bookmark was in place.

"I dunno. An hour maybe?" The bathroom door shut after he said his answer. "Could you charge my phone for me?" The sound of running water followed his request, Lotus rolling his eye light as he picked it up.  
He walked over to the kitchen and placed it on charge on the kitchen island, about to head back to finish the chapter when he saw Rurik's phone light up. Lotus knew better than to snoop through his phone, even trusted him enough to know that he'd share any secret with him, so he let it be. He returned to his book's side, and, with a quick tap on the ridge of his glasses, he began reading. A quick burst of flash caught his attention, yet he remained seated and read on once it had come to an end. It wasn't until the fifth time the phone light up in the center of the kitchen did he get up and check it out. To his confusion, there weren't any notifications that decorated his lock screen. Lotus noticed the small moon icon near his battery percentage, raising a bone brow as he slid up to turn off the do not disturb mode. Rurik's phone started to vibrate non-stop, multiple texts popping on his lock screen. Lotus shot a quick glance at the hall Rurik disappeared down, and hurriedly unlocked his phone. He tapped on the messaging app and saw a group chat blowing up along with a few personal conversations. He decided to view the group chat, tapping on that to be sent back to the last thing he had read.

PC: I got a bad bitch, if anyone wants their turn with her.

UF: Nah b. Imma get with the one Rurik's bangin'. Heard she's a fuckin' animal.

He didn't understand who those two were but felt his soul shatter when he read his own boyfriend's text.

R: Hell yeah she was. Best I've ever had.

'It's funny how much that compliment could hurt.' Lotus thought, his vision blurring as he continued to read.

UF: Ayy Roller lemme see a pic of her

Lotus shuddered when he saw the nude photos his lover had sent, both relieved and demolished that none of them were of him. It felt like the shattered pieces of his soul were stabbing themselves when he saw Rurik's comment after the photos had sent.

R: Lemme know which one you're going for. I got all their numbers.

Lotus slid out of there when he stumbled onto them planning a foursome with the woman he had recently sent the pictures of and was now looking through the personal messages. All of them being with the people he had a fling with. He scrolled through those nudes fast, glancing up to see the hall still empty, and stumbled upon a few pictures of Rurik's. Lotus got out of that conversation, placing the phone on charge after he cleared the history out. He made sure to leave no trace of his snooping in his phone and sat back down at the table with his head in his hands. He couldn't believe it. After being together for years now, he never took Rurik for a cheating monster. He has so many questions, so many fits to throw, so much pain to inflict on a certain someone he believed deserved it, but couldn't. No matter how shattered his soul is, he still loved him and believed there was some explanation for this behavior coming from him so late in their relationship. He stayed where he was, contemplating about what to do with this newfound information. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice the shower go off until two arms wrapped around his chest and a head rest on his shoulder.

"That book must be good, huh Cupcake?" Lotus shuddered at the nickname, refusing to look at him. "Wanna call it a day?"

"I-In a few m-minutes." He stammered, the lump in his throat making it hard for him to speak. "J-Just gotta finish this ch-chapter."

"You okay, love?" Lotus didn't trust his words and nodded, hoping it was enough to get him to leave.

Unfortunately, it wasn't. Rurik loosened his grip on him and stole the seat beside him, trying to meet his gaze to see what was wrong.

"Cupcake? Did I do something wrong?" That question made Lotus's head shoot up and stare at him with empty sockets.

'You fucking kidding me? You have to ask if you did something wrong? You really think that you're that good of a person?' Similar thoughts raced a mile a minute in his head, Lotus trying his hardest to keep his cool.

"N-No." He cursed his sensitivity for making him sound so weak. "I-I just need water. M-My throat hurts." He listened to his sigh of relief and watched him go get what he asked for.

"Maybe if you didn't yell at me so much, your throat wouldn't hurt." He laughed lightheartedly, bringing back the full glass to set by his hands.

'It's because I yell too much, isn't it?' Lotus thought, taking slow gulps of the icy water.

"Y-You can go ahead." He cleared his throat and took another sip. "I'll be there in a bit."

Rurik gave a small nod and headed back down the hall he came from, disappearing behind one of the doors. Lotus shut his book and rested his head against the table. He wanted to scream, to lash out with everything he had, but found it better expressed in a choked sob. Tears fell from his sockets, dripping onto the marble table below him. He didn't make any sound, not daring to confront him today, and carried himself to the couch in the living room. He wiped the tear tracks away with his black sleeves, grabbing the thin blanket draped over the arm of the longest couch, and covered himself as he tried to fall asleep, finding the tedious task impossible with the thoughts that flooded his mind. He tossed and turned, trying to find comfort in anything, but failing with every attempt. This struggle lasted until the sun came back up. Lotus had given up on the idea of sleep hours ago and got up to cook breakfast, this time a single meal, and ate half before feeling sick to his stomach. He left the untouched half on the table and walked out the house, prepared for yet another long day of reaping.

Rurik stirred two hours after Lotus had left, not picking up on his absence until he tried to snuggle up with him and found his side empty. He shot up in bed, throwing the covers onto the floor in hopes of finding him buried underneath. When he found that spot empty, he got out of bed and headed toward the bathroom, chalking it up to him rising early for a morning shift only to be met with disappointment when he found it uninhabited.

"Guess it was a hella early morning shift." He grumbled, heading down the hall to be greeted by the silence of his living area. He headed toward the kitchen to create a simple breakfast, stopping at the dinner table when he saw the half-eaten plate resting on the surface. He took it upon himself to finish the other half, a soft hum leaving him as each bite was consumed. He eventually got to the end, sliding the empty plate into the sink, and took a seat on the couch, flipping the tv on and tossing the remote aside. He browsed through his phone, coming across the conversations still spamming up, rolling his starry eyelights as he left all of them on read. He pinched his nasal bone, a heavy grunt leaving him as he thought about his actions from yesterday. There was no way that Lotus couldn't be suspicious by now, tossing himself back into the couch only to hit the back of his head harshly on the edge.

'I have to get this shit under control. I'm in a relationship and this definitely isn't Underfell anymore. I can't let this happen again.'

The rest of his day passed over all too quickly, the retired soldier feeling anxiety pool in his nonexistent stomach for the first time in many years when dinner time rolled around. He had set the dinner table, food dished out on the two plates set, and a small candle placed directly between the two with a small bouquet of roses beside it. He double checked the placements, hoping nothing went unaccounted for. His attention perked up at the sound of the lock click, the door creaking open as Lotus walked in.

"Hey Cupcake." He greeted warmly, the nervous smile on his face growing stiff when he saw that it, along with his efforts, had gone ignored by the young reaper as he tossed himself onto the couches. He plodded over to him, stealing the seat beside him, and cradling his head in his lap. "I made dinner." No response. Lotus merely looked in his direction before moving his head away from him and curling up on the other side of the couch, keeping the distance between the two as far as possible. "C-Cupcake, you okay?" He was met with silence once more. He felt his bone marrow boil at the quietness of his partner. Rurik stood from where we was sitting, grabbing his forest green t-shirt off the arm of the couch, and walked out the door after slipping it on, slamming it shut behind him to make his absence known.

'Why the hell is he ignoring me?! I didn't even do anything wrong yet!' His thoughts criticized his lover's behavior, pointing out every flaw he found in the presentation he gave earlier.

He continued his trek along the sidewalk, kicking anything that came in his path. He didn't realize how far he had actually made it until he found himself at the bus stop. He turned back, barely catching a glimpse of his neighborhood, and rolled his eyelights as he waited for the bus. He needed to blow this steam off before he did something he'd regret.  
Exhaustion racked the young reaper's body, the double shifts he took up took a lot out of him. He silently winced when he tried to toss over on the couch to face the cushions instead of the door, the lack of energy making it harder for him to perform a simple task.

'Wonder who he'll sleep with tonight.' He shut his sockets as if it were the cure-all to not think about his recent discovery.

All that caused was his imagination to project several different theories of who it would be tonight. There were quite the sum of nudes in his messages, who knows how many were in his photo gallery. He tried, again and again, to toss the idea of his cheating out of his head, those efforts proving fruitless as it only caused them to show up with reinforcements. The negative thoughts lulled him to sleep, still curled up at the end of the couch he threw himself against. Lotus rose early the next morning, answering his father's phone call and heading out to pick up the triple shifts he signed up for to avoid him for the next three days. He grabbed a few quick snacks out the pantry, shoving them into his satchel, and teleported out his quiet home. He reported in his father's makeshift office, holding his hand out for the stack of souls to reap, which he received with no questions asked. Death glanced up from his short stack of lists, finding his son studying the paper with the intensity and intention of burning it with his very gaze. He refocused on his own, the sound of him clearing his throat going unnoticed by his son.

"Things okay between you and Rurik?" Lotus's eyelight shot up, Death letting out a soft chuckle at his son's shocked expression. "It's not hard to read you, kiddo."

"It's nothing. It'll pass over." Death knew it was a blatant lie, it being clear as day as his facial expressions changed.

"Did you know that you get your lying skills from your mother?" he asked offhandedly, glancing up from the papers in his hand and flashing a humorous smile. "Really, what's going on?"

"It's nothing, I'm serious." Death cocked his bone brow, a look of skepticism clear on his face as he stared his son down. "I'm serious, dad."

"Pretty sure we named you Lotus, but what do I know." Lotus let out a prolonged groan at his dad's shit joke, earning a small laugh in turn. "If you don't wanna say, I won't pry any further. Just know that I'm still down to listen."

"Wow. What a change from the abusive asshole you used to be." Lotus retorted, summoning his scythe just as his father had done with his.

"Two years and still trying. Give me some credit for that." He defended, opening up a portal before him with a snap of his fingers.

"I guess I'll give you that." Lotus copies his father's actions, a portal of his own opening up before him. "I'll let you know if there's anything."

"Alright." Death stepped through the portal without a second to spare, a soft whooshing sound accompanied him as the portal shut behind him.

Lotus went through the list, most of the deaths on there being back to back before he reached a long break in regards to time. He created a portal to Life's eternal gardens, stepping through before anyone could catch a glimpse of him, and landed on the grass. He wandered around for a bit, taking in the sweet scent of living flowers as he made his way toward the river bank. He sat on the edge, throwing his legs over to have his bare feet dip into the cool rushing waters.

"I didn't do anything wrong, did I?" He peered over his knees to stare at his reflection. "I... I did everything I could to keep him happy, right?" He recalled the revealing photos in his phone and looked at his own bony body. He summoned the female ecto-body he had revealed to him countless times before and examined it thoroughly. "Maybe these aren't big enough? Maybe he wants them bigger." More magic coalesced at his chest, his shirt tightening until he couldn't breathe properly. "That's what those girls kinda looked like." He mumbled, embarrassment coursing through his bones as he reached up to firmly grasp them. "Maybe he'd like this better." The longer he stared, the more disproportionate the rest of his body looked in comparison. He used up more of his magic, creating wider hips to recreate the hourglass figure he had caught in one of the messages and his thighs thicker to even it out. "This looks messed up as all hell." He muttered to himself, hugging himself tightly as he tried to hide his new body from his reflection.

"It sure does, bud." Lotus's head jerked up, his gaze set on his father's fixed one, and let out a sudden shriek as he dissipated his summoned body. "You mind?" He gestured to the empty space beside him.

"How much did you see?" He asked quietly, his face flushed red with the awkward tension settling between the two.

"I saw you belittle the hell out of yourself." He answered, not once looking over in his direction to save him the embarrassment. "What makes you think that you are anything less than perfect?"

"B-Because...." He didn't give a definite response, trying to figure out what to actually say without selling Rurik out. "I-I don't fit the mold."

"Who gives a shit? A mold is for dumbass basic fuckheads who have no taste for anything." Lotus listened to him, actually feeling his plague of sadness lighten up a bit. "You are better as you, trust me on that, and Rurik, well, if he can't see what your worth, then you don't need him."

"I.. I still love him though." His voice got quieter and quieter as he admitted that small fact, his face still shining bright red. "I still want him in my life."

"It's because you don't give up." Lotus spares a glance in his father's direction only to find him smiling as he looked straight into the forest ahead. "You have your mother's determination. He didn't want to leave me either."

"Is that why I was your punching bag for literally seventeen years of my life?" A sharp since left Death, earning his son's chuckle in response.

"Hey, not seventeen years. More like fifteen." He spoke in hopes of it being enough to defend him.

"Yeah because I ran away from home at around that age." That shot his defending argument down instantly.

"At least it's been two years of us trying to make it up to you." He hopes that the subject would drop after he had shed some light on that truth.

"All because you guys didn't know where to find me for four years."

"Okay, okay. You win." He rose his hands in attempts to end this small dispute, Lotus rolling his eyelight as the corners of his mouth perked up subtly. "Probably not the best way to manage anger, but it kept our relationship stable years after that."

"At the cost of my sanity." Death gave him an apologetic look, seeming much more defeated than the last time, and Lotus nudged his father in hopes of getting him to calm down. "Sorry. Last comeback, I swear."

"You got nothing to apologize for, kid." A sigh left him as he leaned back on the palms of his hand and returned his steady gaze to the forest. "Go back and confront him because running away and avoiding the problem entirely is proving to him that you'll let him mess with you like this."

"I-I thought he might figure it out-" Death shook his head slowly, resting a hand on his shoulder, and looked him dead in the sockets.

"You gotta show him that you still care and that this actually worries you. Otherwise, this'll just happen again and again." He wiped away his son's tears with a quick brush of his thumb, standing up and holding his hand out to him. "It's time."

Lotus gave another small nod, accepting his father's assistance and rising to his feet. Death did the honors of opening up the portal to the front porch of Lotus's small house on the surface, gesturing for him to take the first step. A heavy sigh left him as he stepped through, looking back and waving his goodbye as the portal shut before facing his house again. He slowly made his way to the door, dread fueling his actions as he pulled his keys out from his pocket and pushed it into the lock. With a sharp click, it came undone, tears already at the edge of his sockets as he twisted the doorknob and pushed it open. Inside was Rurik, who laid wasted on the floor with multiple lacerations along his exposed arms, shattered glass surrounding him as the knocked-over beer seeped into the rug.

"R-Rurik!" The frantic clinking of glass hitting against one another as the bottles rolled onto the wooden floor echoed through the silent house, Lotus pressing the palm against the middle of his chest to feel his soul pulsating at a low rate. "R-Rurik, please wake up." A shaky whine left his mouth as he started to rip up bits of his cloak to create makeshift bandages.

"L-Lo..." His attention went from wrapping his wound to staring at his expressionless face. "T-This is..."

"Shut the fuck up!" He didn't want to hear whatever he was going to finish the sentence with, although he had a good idea of what it might be. "You're not dying so save your breath!" He knotted the cloth tight once he managed to cover the whole arm, working on the other so he could maintain at least some bone marrow and stay conscious before taking him to the hospital. Once he got his other arm patched up, he hugged him close to his body and teleported to the nearest hospital. A few of the human workers were shocked to see the pair appear in the lobby out of thin air, the healers there not as surprised as they carried Rurik to an empty emergency room.

"You patch him up?" Lotus nodded as he held onto Rurik's hand, pressing the back of it against his mouth as if it'd give him strength. "Quick thinking." That compliment went over his head as he focused more on stressing for Rurik's well-being.

He let go of his hand when he saw the healers start to work, cutting up his shirt to see where else he sustained injuries. Lotus shut his sockets when he saw multiple cuts along his ribcage, the depth of each one varying from one another.

"A friend of yours?" He asked offhandedly as he readied their magic.

"B-Boyfriend, actually." He answered, cracking open a socket to see the green magic glow from their hands as they rested their palms over the injured areas.

"Don't worry." The soul monitor displayed the slow rate increases the longer they kept the ministrations up. "He'll be just fine by the end of it."

A wave of relief washed over him when he heard that, his gaze glued to the monitor to make sure it hadn't slowed down or taken a dip too hard. Eventually, the healers stopped, replacing the patches that Lotus had made with actual bandages, and left once it had been tied off. They had told him that they would return to check on his progress and make sure he's recovering properly. Lotus moved closer to him, resting his hand over his bandaged cheekbone softy and brushing his thumb on the underside of his socket, waiting for him to open them so that he could meet the russet stars he's come to love so much. He kept the gentle gesture, humming softly as he unknowingly shed a few more tears. A quiet gasp left him when he listened to a deep groan rumble from within his chest, his sockets slowly cracking open before opening wide up.

"L-Lotus..." The smaller nodded, as the tears fell at a faster rate. "W-Why'd you leave for so long?" He choked out.

"I only left a day. I was only gone for a day." He mumbled, squeezing his hand tightly in his own.

"I-It was more than a day, Lo. Y-You left for t-two w-weeks."

"Two..." His eyelight darted to the clock, the date staring back at him to confirm what he had said. "Two weeks?" His sockets widened as realization dawned on him. "Life's eternal garden. Nothing decays since time doesn't exist." He muttered to himself, smacking his forehead as the truth settled.

"Lo, I'm sorry. I'm so damn sorry. I'm a fucking terrible person," Lotus shook his head as he said that, Rurik continuing with his self-deprecation, "a lousy ass excuse of a boyfriend, a fucking deceiver, a-"

"S-Shut the fuck up!" He finally cried out, slamming his fists weakly against his shoulders as he tried to make his point clear. "Don't say that about yourself! Not yet." Rurik cupped his chin, turning his head back so that he could meet his saddened gaze. "Not before you tell me why you did it."

Rurik saw no reason to lie. His involuntary actions hurt both of them, breaking everything he worked for ages on with Lotus in one regretted mistake. "What'd they have that I didn't?"

"It wasn't like that. It was a one-night thing. I promise. Look..." he pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to him, watching Lotus put in the passcode and head straight for the gallery. He was relieved to find it filled with multiple screenshots of memes, a few photos of them together scattered here and there, and most of them being of Lotus. "Look at the time stamp on the messages."

"Rurik, I don't-"

"Please. Just look." Rurik begged, Lotus's reluctance deteriorating as he clicked on the first one. "See. The fifth. That night I came home hella late."

"The night I found out," Lotus added in a quiet mutter, sliding out that conversation. "You could've deleted the messages from before and after."

"Get my phone history from the company. I only used that number that day." Rurik asked him to take a look at the other three individual chats before looking over the group chat.

"What do they mean by 'is it that time for ya'?" Lotus looked up to find Rurik boring holes into the glass window as he stared outside. "Rurik?"

"I never told you because I was sure you'd be scared." He admitted, leaving Lotus's question unanswered.

"Told me what? Please tell me." He was so close to figuring out what had caused him to drift away. "I'm not scared of you. Please, tell me." Rurik looked back over to him, a slight tint of orange lighting up his cheekbones as he took a deep breath as if preparing himself for the worst.

"I'm hypersexual." A silence settled between the two, Lotus glancing down at the phone in his hand while his face burning a dark purple. He had opened his mouth to say something before closing it, that small motion happening a few times before he made the decision to keep it shut. A few minutes of tense silence dragged on, neither knowing what to say in response to Rurik's confession.

"Y-You never seemed l-like it." Lotus finally coughed out.

"Not the second time around at least. You can't deny that I acted like a perv and used you like a sex doll in our first attempt at a relationship." Lotus let out a small 'oh' at his evidence, piecing his newfound behavior with his overly active sex addiction from the past. "I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't want to hurt us."

"So you took it out on a bunch of whores and didn't think that'd hurt me even more?" Rurik shook his head, Lotus crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for his explanation behind it.

"That night was an accident. It had gotten worse that day and it just... it's like it took control of me. It drove me crazy, it hurt like hell." He leaned further into the hospital bed, shutting his sockets as he felt his credibility slip through the cracks of his fingers. "It felt like I was burning. I wasn't thinking straight and did whatever I could to make it stop but it kept getting worse."

"And you couldn't come home and ask me to suck your dick?" Rurik chuckled at his blunt question, knowing that he was reverting back to how he used to be before the incident took place.

"If you knew how bad I got, I wouldn't have stopped just there." He humored lightly, Lotus letting out a breathy laugh as he shook his head.

"That didn't stop you back then and it's not like I'm not already your bitch." Rurik laughed quietly in response. "Was it because they were thick?"

His laugh grew louder and shook his head, wrapping an arm around his slim waist to pull him closer.

"They look flat as all hell when compared to you~"

"Alright, fuckboy. I'm still mad at you for getting with four different women in the span of a day." Lotus reminded as he leaned away from his hold.

"Please Cupcake~ I said I was sorry~" he whined quietly, Lotus shaking his head stubbornly.

"You still have to explain yourself for all this." He gestured to his wrapped wounds and the overall condition he was in.

"I tried calling you, but you left your phone at home. I didn't know where you went and I had no idea how to contact you. I stayed in the apartment, requesting time off work again and again just so I can be home whenever you come back. Those nights dragged on, I took a lot of drinks, and then," he paused for a split second as he recalled how guilt consumed his mind in those few days without the other, "Well, you know the rest since that's how you found me."

Lotus considered his words as he made his way to the windowpane in his room. He could feel Rurik's gaze follow him, but said nothing about it.

"You promise it was only that one time?" He didn't look back when he asked, Rurik verbally agreeing to his statement. "And that it'll never happen again?" Another hum of agreement leaving the taller. "One more question." Lotus turned to face him, leaning back on the sturdy glass as he looked his way with voided sockets. "Do you still love me?"

"I never stopped." The sincerity in his voice made Lotus want to run to him and hug him for all he's worth, but the needles in his bones made him stay a few inches away from him, now sitting at the foot of his bed. "Can I make up for my mistakes?"

"After you get out of here, sure." He took his hand in his own, rubbing his thumb over his bare knuckles as he smiled softly. "I think we both need that."


	24. Poth: NaJ AU: No one's taking you away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by: @MelonCorgi
> 
> Part 1 of 3

Palette turned his radio down as he pulled up to his lover's apartment, a giddy feeling resonating from deep within his soul as he shut his car off. He slammed his door shut behind him and walked up the concrete stairs, rounding the corner quickly to get to the second floor.

'213, 214...' his mind skimmed through the numbers and stopped in front of the one he was looking for. '215!' He cheered mentally, reaching into his pockets for the keys that he had given to him on their six-month anniversary.

He unlocked the door and stepped inside, being greeted by the aroma of whatever he was cooking. He shut the door quietly and headed into the kitchen, finding his favorite librarian stirring the contents of the pan carefully. Palette noticed that his glasses were resting on the counter, taking this as his opportune moment to come up behind him. He reached up, so close to blinding him when he felt his arms reach back and grab hold of him first. His grip was gone for a split second, returning once he had turned around to face him, and picked up the cheer coach, earning the bubbling laughter that made the taller smile so much.

"Good afternoon to you too, my love~" he purred quietly, Palette humming with agreement as he gave him a quick peck to his cheekbone. "Any reason to why you dropped by so late? The weekend is my time with you, you know." Palette laughed and nodded, earning another kiss for just admitting that.

"Sorry, Gothy. Papa was giving me my-" Goth pulled open the cabinet beside Palette's head and pulled out a neatly wrapped gift, much to Palette's surprise. "-birthday gift!"

"Happy birthday, sweetheart." Palette yanked on his hood weakly to pull him in for a quick kiss, Goth showing no hesitance in taking up his offer.

"Thank you, baby~" a soft purple dusted the taller's cheekbones, clearly enjoying the tone he spoke to him in, and watched him carefully unwrap the gift wrapping paper. The cheer coach tugged at the lid, finding it taped on the sides, and shot a playful pout at his lover.

"Gothy~" he laughed and offered him a knife to cut through it, Palette taking him up on it and slicing the through the adhesive.

He removed the lid and let out a soft gasp, carefully feeling the velvety material of the folded-up clothing.

"I remember you eyeing it when we went to the mall the other day, and I couldn't help myself," Goth murmured as he watched his lover pull out the forest green velvet dress from its confinement.

"It's beautiful!" He gushed, attempting to slide off the counter to try it on, but was stopped by Goth's hands gently holding him in place.

"Not yet. Wear it tonight, when my parents come to pick you up."

"Y-Your parents?" He knew his boyfriend's parents loved him to pieces, always inviting him to family functions, sometimes spreading the word to him before Goth. "Why won't you pick me up?"

"The place I reserved your birthday dinner has to be perfect and I won't settle for anything less." Palette beamed as he hugged him tightly, a soft chuckle leaving him as he returned the gesture. "Now," Goth pulled away and motioned to the stove behind him, "would you like some brunch?" Palette nodded to that, that being his cue to turn around and dish out the food for the two.

Palette filled the glasses he removed from the cabinet with orange juice, carrying those to the small table as Goth served the food. He took notice of the star-shaped toast on his plate, taking hold of it and presenting it to Goth.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Gothy." He laughed, Goth snickering as he stole the seat beside him.

"I know, yet you still love it when I do that." He hummed, pressing a small kiss to his temple.

Palette dove in, a low hum of approval leaving him as he consumed his breakfast, a bright smile on the librarian's face when he saw that he was enjoying his meal, and began consuming his own.

"What time would they come to get me? So I know when to be ready." Palette asked, drinking up the orange juice as he waited for him to finish his bite.

"Around 6:30, maybe 7 if dad runs late." His answer came occupied with the sound of their empty dirty plates clattering against one another as he cleared off the table. "What'd your dad get you for your birthday?" Palette's attention drifted from the dress draped over his shoulder to his lover's words, a giddy smile instantly striking his features as he recalled the five words his father told him.

"He didn't get me anything." He held back his laughter when he saw his confused side glance.

"Really? That isn't-" Palette came up behind him and hugged his midsection, pressing the side of his face against his back, and listened to the sudden silence for a brief moment.

"He told me something, and it was the best gift I could ever ask for." He clarified, Goth humming as to usher him to continue. "He said I can live with you."

"What?" He shut the sink off and turned around quickly, Palette's infectious smile spreading to him as he hoisted him up off the ground. Palette laughed, gripping his shoulders tightly when he felt him spin him around. "That's incredible, my love!"

"If I didn't know any better, I would think this was more of a gift for you." He teased, bopping his nasal cavity softly as he was carefully set back down onto his feet. "Anyway, he was helping me pack up some of my clothes because I was too excited. That's why I was a little late for our breakfast."

"It was worth the wait." He returned his attention to the dishes that occupied the sink. "If you want, I can swing by tomorrow and help you pack up the rest." He offered as he lathered the dish soap on the surface of the plate, Palette hopping up to sit on the counter beside the sink.

"That'd be great, but I am going to warn you, I have a lot of clothes. I'll have to steal your side of the closet." The two shared a small laugh at his remark, Goth waving it off as he placed the clean dishes in the other side of the sink.

"I guess I might as well spill my surprise for us." Palette watched as he dried his hands off with the washcloth he produced from the drawer and walk off to his room.

The cheer coach waited patiently for him to return, trying to pay no mind to the sound of the drawer opening in his room, and brought his focus to his dress for the second time that early afternoon. He unfolded it fully to admire his boyfriend's selection. It had a wide v-neck, enjoying the pattern that the various sized rhinestones created along the neckline. His attention was drawn back when he heard a door draw shut, flinching when he heard he heard two new voices. He turned his head to the side, leaning back to find Goth's sister at the door, her friend right behind her absentmindedly scrolling through her phone.

"Hey, Palette. Happy birthday." Xahji bid, plopping down on the couch and switching the tv on, her friend coping her motions.

"Thanks, Xah-" He was cut off by her friend, a glare already fixated on her as she spoke.

"How'd you know it was his birthday?" Palette rolled his eyelights at her question, focusing on the dress in hopes of getting her out of his head.

"It's a national holiday at our place. Goth makes sure that we all know." A smile lit up on his face when he heard Xahji admit that, finding yet another reason why he loved the librarian so much.

"Whatever. Where's Gothy?" Palette's eyelights vanished when he heard his nickname come out of her mouth, his soul thrumming with rage.

"That's Goth to you," His voice strained as he tried to keep up with the kindness he constantly presents himself with, "and that's none of your concern on where he is."

"Actually," She raises her finger as she sent another text, looking up to stare right at him, "it is. He asked me to run a favor for him and I'm just here to update him on that." The knowing smile on her face causes a flame to ignite inside the cheer coach, who was trying his hardest to put it out.

"Okay so? It's just a favor." He blew off, trying to get his jealousy back in check.

"That's what you think." She scoffed, a small smirk lit up her face when she saw him strain himself.

It was at that time when Goth came walking back with a file folder in hand and his seemingly never-ending smile present, holding it out for him to see. Palette refocused on his lover, accepting the small kiss to his temple as set his dress down in his lap and took hold of the folder, his starry eyelights widening, and stared up to his boyfriend when he saw the first page.

"Are you serious?!" He couldn't help but cheer out, Goth snickering as he nodded and gestured for him to keep looking through. "I can't believe this..." Inside the manilla file folder was the paperwork for the house his boyfriend recently bought, the down payment receipt, and the home loan approval all bound together by a small binder clip in the corner. "I'm so happy for you-" Goth shook his head and pressed a loving kiss to his forehead.

"For us~" Lime green dusted his cheekbones due to the tone he had used and hugged him to hide his blushing face in the crook of his neck.

"You did all the work, what with saving up and actually looking," Palette mumbled, a small part of his mind worried that he did all this just for him.

Goth knew he'd get too emotional, especially if he brought this up on a day like this, but this wasn't something he could hide from him for long. "I did this for us. We already talked about you moving in with me." He pulled away when he felt small wet drops against his collarbone and leaned back to wipe his bright tears away. "Besides, the rent for this place is outrageous. You saw the price for the house. These bills I'll have to pay off each month is going to be cheaper than the rent I'm paying for right now." Goth peppered his face in small kisses, earning a weak laugh from him as he tried to pull away. "You should see the floor plans of the place. I think it looks amazing." He muttered in between kisses, his affections slowing down when he heard his laughter gain a little more life.

"Okay, okay. I guess you're right." The affections ceased, Palette letting out small giggles as he tried to calm down. "Can we go see it?"

"Let me get dressed first." Palette hadn't noticed the taller was still in his black sweatpants and sleeveless hoodie until he had mentioned it, hopping off the counter and shoving him aside playfully.

"I'll manage the dishes, you hurry up and get dressed." Goth raised his hands to surrender teasingly as he walked out of the kitchen.

"Ay Gothy, can I talk to you for a second?" The plate in Palette's hand came crashing down at the bottom of the sink, the boiling anger he felt resurfacing when he saw Colonna walk up to his boyfriend. "It's about that favor." He clenched his teeth, his mouth shut right as he behaved as if he hadn't heard. His soul stopped when he saw how Goth reacted to that, ushering her down the hall and disappearing into one of the rooms. At that moment, he felt a wave of anxiety hit him hard, no longer tending to the few dirty dishes.

'Is it really that bad to talk about something in front of me? Maybe it's something bad. I trust Gothy, I love him. I know he wouldn't stoop down to a level like that. I just really don't like her intentions.' Similar thoughts came flooding in, clouding his mind and warping him from reality. It wasn't until he felt arms wrap around his waist and a head rest on his shoulder did he come back and notice the girls that arrived had left.

"Pally, what's wrong, sweetheart?" Palette shook his head, both to answer his question and to tuck away those negative thoughts and gave him a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine. Just thinking." He hummed, picking up the slack on his work as quickly as he could.

The small task was done in a matter of minutes, the last dish was put into place and grabbed the keys to his car off the counter. Palette followed closely behind, making sure to take the dress with him so he could drop it off in his car before getting into Goth's, and waited for him to lock the doors. He linked his arm with his, earning the soft chuckle he's come to love so much, and walked down the stairs with him.

"When did you start looking for one?" Goth shrugged as he tried to think of when he actually started searching.

"I think a year ago, whenever we first thought about living together at least. I think dad started helping out whenever I showed him the house I was planning on getting." He answered honestly, unlocking his car while Palette walked over to his, tossing the dress in on the passenger seat and heading back over to join him in his car.

"This is so exciting. We're actually going to live together." Palette mused, the eyelights practically sparkling with delight as he fed the thought.

"Soon enough," Goth intertwined their hands and pressed a small kiss against the back of Palette's, "we'll have the life we always talked about."

Palette's face flushed as more thoughts popped up in his head. Marriage, the wedding, honeymoon, children, and everything else he could possibly think of occupied his thoughts as the duration of the drive shortened. If Goth hadn't announced their arrival, Palette would've been stuck daydreaming for a while. Palette stepped out of the car, finding them parked at the curb, and stared in awe at the estate. It was a nice two-story house with a balcony extending from one side to the other, five doors leading out to it.

"This is the place?" He couldn't get it through his head that this was where they'd be living in a few weeks, and Goth's nod made it all the more better.

Goth took him inside, mimicking the tour he was given when he was with his parents, and found Palette entranced by the home they would soon reside in. They left a few minutes after re-exploring, Palette leaving as soon as they got back into the gates of the apartment complex.

"They'll pick you up by 7, and if they don't, let me know, okay?" Palette held in his laugh as he listened to this spiel for the millionth time on the drive back.

"You'll be the first to know, Gothy." He reminded, pulling him down for a quick kiss before heading home. "See you at 7~"

"I'll be counting the minutes~" Palette got into his car and started his engine, revving it a few times while Goth sent a loving smile his way.

With a small wave, he left the complex and headed home, thinking about their life together on his way back. The house Goth bought was incredible, to say the least, and Palette couldn't wait to finish packing up so that he could finally move in. He parked his car in the driveway, finding it surprisingly empty, and headed toward the front door. As expected, the house was quiet, save for the quiet creaks from the house settling occasionally making its presence known. He spared no time getting ready, seeing that he had spent four short hours with his boyfriend at his apartment. He took a quick shower to freshen up and stood in front of the full-body mirror as he dried himself off, stealing quick glances at the clock on his phone to make sure he still had time. He slipped the dress on, his magic taking form to fill the mold of the clothing, and admired the outfit in the mirror. He made sure his ecto body didn't glow too bright and was thankful that his dress was at full length. He removed the charger from its port and walked out into the living room, responding to the various birthday messages he had received throughout the day. His replies were cut short when he heard the doorbell ring, about to head to it when he got a text from Goth asking if his parents had gotten to him or not. Palette answered the door, typing an affirming message to him when Geno surprised him and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Happy birthday, Palette!" He cheered, Palette laughing as he returned the gesture enthusiastically.

"Thank you, Geno!" Geno beamed at the lack of the title and glanced down at his hand for a quick second, surprised to find his hand empty.

"Well? Your carriage awaits you." He offered his arm out to the cheer coach, who, in turn, let out a small laugh as he linked his arm with his and was escorted to the car.

Geno opened the door to the backseats, Palette climbing in and the door slamming shut when he was situated. A soft crinkle caught Palette's attention, glancing up to find a bouquet of roses being presented to him.

"Happy birthday Palette." Reaper bid warmly, Palette accepting the beautiful flowers with a smile on his face.

"Thank you!" He carefully sniffed one, as if it would wilt at a moment's notice, and let out a heavy sigh. "They smell amazing." He gushed, Geno sliding into the driver's seat soon after he made his comment.

"Goth does his best to spoil you." Reaper hummed as he latched onto Geno's free arm. "Gets it from his father, that's for sure~" Palette suppressed his laugh when he saw Geno's face dust a very light shade of red at Reaper's comment, and watched as his hand reached up to turn the radio on.

Reaper sat up straight, exchanging glances from the radio to his husband, who was clearly making an effort to focus on the road instead of him. Reaper noticed the lack of attention, letting out a small huff as he turned the music up and began humming along.

"Reaper, I-"

"Don't act you like you don't know this song." He hummed along to the chorus, the car coming to a stop at the first red light of the night.

Palette drew his attention from the older couple to the song, focusing on the lyrics and finding that it revolved around the idea of proposing. His mind began to wander, his imagination taking the form of his boyfriend asking for his hand. He couldn't wait till they tied the knot, and simply knowing that it was bound to happen soon made him all the more happier. The song came to an end, annunciating their arrival to the destination, and parked in the reserved spot. Palette stepped out the car, surprised to be standing in front of a banquet hall, but thought nothing of it as he walked up the marble staircase.

'I hope Gothy didn't spend too much.' Guilt wormed its way into his soul as he approached the door. He took a deep breath as to prepare himself for the fancy chandeliers, the stuck-up patrons and overdress waiters, and swung one of the doors open, the light from outside streaming into the dark building weakly.

"Uhhh, Mr. Geno?" He was about to take a step back when all the lights turned on, strobing from one color to another as everyone shouted one synchronized birthday wish.

Palette's eyelights twinkled as he thanked them immensely, walking in and looking around for his boyfriend. He knew this was doing without a doubt and wanted to give him his proper thanks. He scopes out the room, failing to find anyone but Reaper who had a hood on and pulled out his phone to message him on his whereabouts.

P: Gothy, where are you?

He was relieved to find grey bubbles bouncing on his end of the conversation, a reply following it quickly.

G: Sorry love. I'm running a few minutes late. Have some cake, I'll be there in a few with your gift.

As if on cue, he heard a cart be rolled out, the one pushing the cart that carried it shouting at people to make room. His eyelights widened at the sight of the large cake approaching him, decorated to his likeness, and looked around to see if anyone was as amazed as he was. The worker that moved the cart to him came to him side and handed him an oversized knife to cut it while motioning to the crowd to begin singing. They did at a moment's notice, a warmth flooding over Palette as he cracked a wide smile and posed for the few pictures or videos being taken. As the song reached its end, Palette held the knife up to the cake, close to cutting the first piece, but was surprised when Goth popped out from the top, confetti following in suit, as he held out another yet larger bouquet of roses.

"Happy birthday, love~" he cooed as Palette took hold of the bouquet, adding the one he had received before to it as he held his hand out for him.

Goth made sure to avoid the frost-covered outer layer as he stepped out, revealing the sharp suit he wore minus the coat.

"You cleaned up rather nicely~" Palette hummed as he pulled him in for a quick peck. "Thank you."

Goth wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling his body flush against his own, "for?"

Palette laughed as smacked him with the flowers playfully, hearing him chuckle as he pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

"If I thanked you for everything you did, is never get to the end of that list." Goth laughed quietly and pulled him in for a brief kiss, a whine of disapproval emitting from the smaller when he pulled away.

"Let me go get the real cake out. I'll be back." Palette have a small nod and waved as he walked off, finding interest in the many guests that showed up. Some were cheerleader at the high school he taught at that graduated recently, clearly excited to see their favorite coach again if their faces were anything to judge by. He approached them first, squeals of delight leaving the four as they hugged him tightly. Their reunion conversation was cut short when felt a hand clap down on his back. He glanced back and found the astronomy and history teacher standing side by side with a gift bag in their hands.

"Happy birthday, Palette." Dream gave a warm smile when he handed him his gift. "I hope you like it."

"Thank you so much, Dream. You guys really didn't have to." Of course, he brushed that comment aside, and his twin doing the same. Palette glanced around to find Goth still attending other matters and tried to sneak a peek at his gift, only to have it snatched from his hands by his father.

"All gifts are at the end of cutting the cake." He reminded them of their tradition, Palette groaning as if he were five.

"But papa~" Ink wasn't taking that and placed the gift with all the others at the front table. "Can't I open one while I wait for-" the raving music was cut off, the attention of all the guests on the front stage as Goth got up with a microphone in hand.

"Now that I have your attention. I'd like to call the birthday boy himself to the stage." Lights focused on the cheer coach, who buried his face into his hands as he made his way up there. He was grateful that the crowd had made a path for him so that he could join him up there faster. Goth held his hand out to him when he got to the bottom the three steps leading up, Palette placing his hand in his as he guided him up. A cake was set on the table behind him, a picture of Palette iced onto it, and handed him the knife. On cue, the crowd sang the birthday song, Palette beaming when he felt Goth embrace him as he quietly mumbled the words to him, making them more special in his opinion. Nearing the end, he blew out the sparkling candles and cut the cake, the crowd bursting into cheers as Goth fed him the first bite. Palette raised a small piece for him, Goth going to open his mouth, but popped it into his own instead. Goth laughed at the harmless prank, about to walk off stage to set the cake at the buffet line, but was halted when Palette grabbed hold of his hand and pulled him into a kiss. Goth didn't mind the sudden affection, nor the extra surprise of having a piece of the cake shared with him, and pulled away when the piece was devoured, a soft hum leaving him.

"It tastes much better after you had it." He mumbled as he walked off with the cake in hand, Palette taking a seat on the only chair set up on stage.

He felt the childish side of him bubble out as he waited for gifts to be presented to him, sitting up straight while waiting for Goth to return so he can rip open the first gift. He noticed a camera being set up by his father, Palette waving when he saw that he had hit the record button, and watched Goth make his way back up on stage with the first gift.

"Yours?" Goth shook his head and handed it to him.

Palette ripped open the small box and found three different snapbacks inside, trying on each one and flashing a charming smile his lover's way to get some kind of reaction, and was pleased to see his face flush a soft purple hue. He placed that one aside and opened up the next, it being a gift card to a coffee place he loved going to. A few gift cards were opened up, some placing just money in the card so that how it should be utilized is left to the owner's decisions. He got a few bottles of fine wine, a nervous smile on his face anytime he came in contact with one. He neared the end, the best gift so far being a new car from his father.

"Gothy, where's yours?" He asked absentmindedly as he reached for the last gift box.

"That one's mine." A sudden rush filled Palette as he ripped the wrapping paper, Goth laughing quietly as he prepared for the presentation of his gift.

Palette managed to open the box and tossed the excessive tissue paper over his shoulder, confused when he saw a single folded-up sticky note inside. He pulled it out and unfolded it, his soul racing when he saw the little message inside.

-Look down and I hope it's yes~

He dropped the note in his lap and shut his sockets tightly when he saw Goth kneeling before him with a small box popped open to reveal a simple silver band with a rhinestones on either side of the diamond centerpiece. He dropped from the chair, being leveled with him, and tackled him in a hug, cheers roaring in the hall as Goth slid the ring onto his finger. Palette hadn't stopped muttering his answer until he saw it reach the base of his finger, kissing Goth with all the love he could muster into one gesture. He pulled away when he felt a hand brush his cheekbones, finding that he had shed a few tears in his happiness high phase and let out a breathy laugh as he wiped the rest away.

"Let go have your first drink, hm?" Palette reluctantly let go, Goth rising to his feet and pulling him up to his.

He looked back at the crowd and flashed the ring on his finger, the crowd once again celebrating their engagement. The engaged couple walked off stage and headed to the open bar, Goth ordering them both a glass of mojito. The bartender began making the drink, putting on quite the show for its preparation, and sliding the two their drinks. Goth picked his glass up, raising it to his fiancé, and he followed, the soft clank being drowned out by the music. Goth was the first to drink, Palette following his example.

"It tastes kinda sweet." He admitted, taking another small sip to confirm his previous thoughts.

"I like these a little bit better than drinking straight up alcohol, it's usually more bitter than this." Palette nodded and finished the cocktail, setting the empty glass on the counter.

"Is it okay if I get another one?" Goth laughed, gesturing to the bartender so that he could bring another round for the two of them.

"Your parents are calling us." He pointed out to see both their parents waving them over, Goth standing from his chair while Palette latching onto his arm.

"But the drinks are almost done." Palette was pulled into a kiss, his grip on his lover loosening, and felt him pull away once his arm was freed from its confinement.

"You can have mine. They're probably going to talk about moving in and the wedding plans. You can come after having the drink." Palette watched as he walked away, a small frown decorations his face as he took the served drink and downed it quick. A sharp bitter taste hit his tastebuds first, flinching and spitting the rest out as he stared at the glass in his hand with disbelief.

'Gothy was right. The other one tasted way better.'

The bartender came back with the drink he recognized as his first, dismissing the apologies the server was mumbled   
again and again with a reassuring smile. He took a testing sip to make sure it was what he was familiar with, and was pleased to find that it was. He quickly drank that one up, ordering another drink after enjoying his second, and was served as just. He downed his third, his mind growing hazy as the drink took it toll, and ordered a fourth. He felt his vision blur, coming in and out of focus as he tried his best to walk over to the table Goth was seated at. His mind didn't pick up on the fact that he was seated with both their parents, and he rested his hands on his shoulder, Goth's attention on him immediately. Palette giggled and leaned over to rest his head beside his, Goth remaining calm as the stench of alcohol followed his lover.

"You love me, right?" He slurred, Goth letting out a small laugh and rested a hand over his.

"Of course I do. I love you very much." Palette, in turn, nuzzled into his neck.

"No one else?" Goth nodded, turning slightly to press a kiss against his cheekbone.

"Why would I love anyone else? Everyone else pales in comparison to you~" he murmured, Palette letting out a low hum as he pressed into the taller's neck once again.

"Even Colonna?" Goth laughed at his fiancé's question, a small pout finding its way onto his face as he waited for him to stop laughing.

"How many drinks did you have, sweetheart?" Palette raised his hand to count, shaking his head when he realized he probably used that to distract him.

"I asked you first." He listened to him let out a quiet sigh, and, instead of answering the question, he held his hand and pressed a few kisses to the back of it as he slowly trailed them to his engagement ring.

"She's not my type, Palette. There's no reason for you to feel that she can come anywhere close to where you are in my heart." Palette posed another question after that, his drunken mind actually curious at this point.

"Where am I in your heart?"

Goth gave him a gentle smile, pressing one final kiss on the ring itself, and locked his gaze with him.

"You are my heart~" Small hearts lit up in the cheer coach's starry eyelights when he heard his words, hugging him tightly and nuzzling him as a warm feeling took over his mind and body.

"You're my heart too, Gothy. I love you so much."


	25. Poth: NaJ AU: For a full house

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by: @CherryCorgii
> 
> Part 2 of No one's taking you away

The alarm clock rang monotonously, Palette blindly reaching over to get the annoyingly dull sound to shut off. He managed, but was too late as he felt his lover rise, a soft groan leaving him when he no longer felt him holding him close.

"Wake up Pally~" he mumbled sleepily, peppering his face in small kisses to wake him up.

"Gothy~ let me sleep~" He grumbled cutely, a soft chuckle leaving the taller as he got out of bed.

"We have to get to the school. I have tutorials and your students will be waiting on you." He reminded, rubbing the sleep out of his sockets before placing his glasses on, and walked over to their bathroom.

"But furniture shopping this weekend was hard~" he whined, curling up on the still-warm empty side that his lover left. "Can't we ask for a sub?"

"Come on sweetheart. We don't wanna waste our off days." He scolded playfully. "I'm leaving the bathroom door open. Hurry up."

Palette kicked the blanket off the bed, tossing his pillow to the side in a blind tantrum as he stomped into their shared bathroom. He noticed Goth at the sink brushing his teeth, who shot a quick smile his way only to earn his pout in return. He dropped his pajama pants to the ground, the fabric pooling at his ankles, and stepped out of it as he ripped his undershirt off. After being completely stripped down, he hopped into the shower and cranked it to its coldest setting. He needed to get out of this morning moodiness he managed to put himself into. He shut his sockets once the icy waters began to hit his bones, a sigh of relief leaving him as he reached out for his body wash.

"Allow me~" his sockets shot open and found Goth at the shower doors.

"Gothy, I'm sor-" Goth cut his apologies short with a soft hush and moved to stand behind him after increasing the temperature of the water.

"It's okay. Relax~" His body arched into his touch, practically hearing the smirk on his face. "Let me take care of you~" he purred quietly, his hands massaging the body wash into his bones.

"Isn't it a little too early for this?" He hummed quietly, his sleep-deprived mind loving the gentle treatment he was getting.

"I could always leave." He pressed several kisses to the back of his neck, slowly easing toward his sweet spot to deliver a soft nip.

"Don't leave," Palette mumbled with rapture, Goth picking up on it and continued loving on his husband.

****

"Was that good enough?" Goth mumbled teasingly, Palette nodding tiredly. "Can you stand?" The cheer coach shrugged and gave it an attempt, unhooking his sore legs from his pelvis and set his feet on the shower floor. Just as Goth expected, his legs gave out and almost collapsed if he hadn't caught him in time. "Guess your wish to stay home came true."

"Stay with me?" He begged weakly, Goth letting out a soft sigh as he shook his head. "Gothy~" He whined pathetically, feeling him set him on the floor before kneeling down before him.

"Someone still has to go to work and save those days off." Palette gave a disheartened huff, knowing his husband was right about that. "I'll have your class come to the library and do whatever work you had assigned for them."

"Okay." He sighed in defeat, letting Goth run the body wash-covered loofa over his body. "Promise to come visit in your conference time?"

"I will definitely try to, and, if I can't, I'll see to getting a half-day, okay?" This comment alone restored the smile on his face.

Palette gave a small nod as fell into his warm afterglow, only faintly picking up the caring hands that cleaned him off and carry him back to the master bedroom. He did feel the plush duvet cover his naked body, his summoned body still present, and the kiss to his forehead as Goth took off for work. He heard something about breakfast but had fallen asleep before he could hear the end of that sentence. He slept until the sunlight began to peek through the curtains, a soft groan leaving him as he felt the lower half of his body sting when he tried to toss over. He cracked open his sockets, finding the other half of the bed empty, and looked over to check the time.

"Might as well get up now." He grumbled to himself, trying to sit up, and found that the lower half of his body still glowed with his lime green magic.

His sockets widened as he tried to find the small soul that could explain his sudden lack of control over his magic. He pushed the covers off of him and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He no longer paid any attention to the dull stinging sensation as he made his way to the vanity that was set right beside the bathroom door. He dug through the drawers, pushing aside the multiple snapbacks and scarfs that cluttered inside, and found the box he bought. They had been trying for so long, the numerous attempts showing up as failed to the point where they had come to terms with never having a child. Goth handled it well or at least made it look like he did, but Palette never gave up hope. Maybe this one was the one that made it. He ripped the top open, removing the directions and the test itself, and followed accordingly. Palette sat on top of the vanity, leaning against the mirror gently as he waited for the results. His mind wandered to the mandatory cheer practices he would have to hold tomorrow after school. The high school's junior varsity team managed to make it to the state playoffs and the cheerleaders had to incorporate a few new crowd impressing stunts into their routine as a way to show off their school even more. He glanced back down at the test in his hand, a wide smile on his face when he saw the two vertical lines on the display screen. He jumped off the dressing table, joyous cheers filling the room as he capped the top off to avoid contamination. He pulled one of Goth's hoodies over his head, slipping into a pair of black sweatpants before walking back to his nightstand. He pulled his phone off the charger and headed downstairs for some breakfast, hopefully, some inspiration hits him on a unique announcement idea. He walked into the kitchen, grabbing the pen on the dry erase marker from the side, and planned the week.

"Dinner with parents and in-laws, maybe tonight. Definitely tonight." He mumbled excitedly, leaving a blank to fill in with a time whenever he settles it out with everyone, and drew three little hearts on today's date. "How to tell Gothy?" 

He pulled open the doors to the fridge, scanning its contents for leftovers from last night's dinner.  
He opened up the microwave, setting the Tupperware back when he was pleasantly surprised by a plate set with breakfast food items already in there with a cute goodbye note from his husband. He closed the door and set a few seconds on the timer, warming it up as he came up with a few ideas. He had two options, either make it private or as public as possible. His students were going to find out, the cheer squad would as well, but, knowing how reserved Goth is, he probably won't get the reaction he was hoping for. He scratched the public ideas out and focused on the ones he actually could manage in however long it'd take Goth to come home from work. The knocking at the front door knocked him out of his thoughts, confusion striking him as he headed over and unlocked the door.

"Morning sweetheart." Palette opened his mouth to tell him the good news, silencing himself when he realizes what he was about to do, and pulled him down to his height.

"You skipped conference for me." He hummed happily, feeling his husband's arms wrap around his waist in return and a short kiss be pressed against his mouth.

"Of course I would. I had to make sure you were okay." He reminded, lifting him off the ground and feeling his legs twine around his waist as he carried him inside. "Are you alright?"

"I am now~" he purred happily, pressing his face into his neck and breathing in his cologne. "How were my students? Rowdy, I'm sure."

"Actually, they were rather behaved." He set him on the kitchen island, pulling out the now warm breakfast from the microwave.

"You are quite the serious man~" He cooed, dragging his finger along the countertop while watching his lover approach his side.

"Really now?" He laughed, raising a spoonful of the scrambled eggs he made to his mouth.

"Mhmm." He nodded, accepting the offered bite, and hummed with delight. "No one wants to get on your bad side."

"But you always keep me in check." He pressed a kiss against his cheekbone and raised another bite. "You make me so happy~" he murmured lovingly, his lover's infectious smile getting to him as he offered another spoonful.

"Keep that happiness up," Palette hummed, pressing a kiss to his cheekbone as he stole the spoon from his hand, "because I'm inviting our family over~" Quiet giggles bubble out the cheerleading coach as Goth buried his face into his neck and groaned.

"Why?~" he whined, much like the students in his class would.

"Because they haven't seen our house yet and a dinner party would be a great way to show them around."

"But babe~" another low whine left him and earned him more of Palette precious laughter. "That's a lot of people to cook for~"

"No, it's not." Palette pouted teasingly. "It's only papa, father, PJ, Cil, Geno, Reaper, Xahji, Raven, Sorrell-"

"Sorrell went back to his place to propose to Rewrite, so that's-"

"Aww! That's so cute! I guess catching the bride's bouquet was good luck for him." Goth gave a low chuckle, his head still resting in the crook of the smaller's neck. "So the guest list isn't as long as you thought."

"You have to account for Fresh, who PJ will definitely try to bring, Quill, because if PJ gets to there's nothing that'll stop Cil, Raven is going to bring his husband and kid with him, and Xahji's probably going to tag Snazzy along. Those two are practically inseparable now that they got whatever beef they had out of the way." Palette didn't take the extra guests into consideration, his bone brow furrowing in thought as he tried to decide if it was worth it or not.

'I'll have to tell them one day.' That thought echoed in his mind for a while, shrugging unknowingly to get Goth's attention.

"It's okay. It's only-" Palette started counting on his fingers, Goth snickering at his actions, "13 other people. We can get through it. I've been saving up for a caterer anyway."

"We can save that for a nice vacation somewhere." Goth reasoned.

"Everyday's a vacation with you~" Palette purred quietly, trailing feather-light kisses down his lover's skull and along his jawline. "Can we please invite them over, baby?~"

"Okay~" Palette rejoiced mentally as he pressed a few more kisses to his cheekbone. "Only because I love you." He mentioned in a teasingly stern voice.

"Thank you, baby! You won't regret this."

"I hope not." Goth sighed.

He pushed himself off his husband, helping him into a seated position only to watch him slide off the kitchen island. He grabbed the keys to his car off the hook, pulling Goth into a brief kiss, which ended up lasting longer than anticipated.

"And where are you going?~" A quiet giggle left Palette as he pressed into his firm hold.

"To the store for a few things and then get some restaurant to cater our dinner tonight." He murmured just as sweetly, Goth letting out a quiet sigh as he shook his head.

"I'll cook tonight, it's okay." Palette cupped his head in his hands, pressing a tender kiss to his mouth, and pulled away with a smile.

"Thank you for making this dinner work." A quiet hum accompanied his husband's shrug. "I mean it when I say you won't be disappointed."

"If you're in charge of planning, I know I won't be disappointed." The soft buzzing of a phone caught their attention, both checking their phones to see who's it was. Turns out, it was Goth's alarm alerting him that his conference period was nearing its end. "I've got head back to school, love."

"Alright." Palette gave him a tight hug, pulling away quickly to press a kiss to his cheekbones and handed him the keys to his car. "I still have to go shopping for the dinner party stuff so that we don't have to do any dishes."

"Have fun with the planning, sweetheart." He waved off, heading out the house and toward his car.

He backed out the driveway quickly, driving off to reach the school in the short amount of time he had. Palette stuck his phone in the oversized hoodie pockets along with his wallet, grabbing his car keys off the key holder, and stepped out of the house. A cool breeze picked up, a small smile resting on his face as he locked the doors and walked to his car. He got in, starting up to hear the music from his phone start playing over his speakers, and packed out the driveway while clicking his seatbelt into place. With his mind occupied in recalling and repeating the lyrics, he got to the store much faster than he had anticipated. He skimmed through the parking lot, trying to find a space close to the front, and came across one marked off for expecting mothers. Palette rubbed his still flat stomach carefully, pulling up his hoodie just a bit to see more magic stirring and almost forming a soul shape. He parked in the spot, shutting his car off and stepping out to press the lock button a few times. He walked inside, grabbing a basket off the tall stack, and wandered down the aisles aimlessly. He grabbed a few more pregnancy tests, one of each from the best brands to make sure he wasn't being tricked by the one test and tossed them into the basket haphazardly as he entered a new aisle. He had a general idea of what he needed: paper plates, cups, napkins, eating utensils, but was stuck on how he was going to reveal his condition. He turned into the aisle with all the party supplies, looking from package to package for the perfect subtle message delivery. He came across a package of balloons that showed off a much smaller heart-shaped balloon inside. A smile formed on his face as he grabbed hold of three different colored packages and tossed them unceremoniously into his basket. He grabbed a helium tank, making sure there was enough inside to fill up all the balloons and headed to the bakery section.

'Now for the cake.' His soul thrummed excitedly as he got closer, picking out a large cake to feed the family they were expecting and requested a personal message be written on the surface in both pink and blue icing. The baker did as such, handing the finished cake back to him, and Palette proceeded to checkout. He took one last look at the message, a bright smile on his face as he read it over and over again.

'Congratulations daddy! I can't wait to see you!' The message alone caused a warmth to flood over him.

He got through the self-checkout line, paying his bill, and briskly walked back to his car so that he could make it home before Goth would and hide the surprise cake. He pulled out his phone, creating a group chat with those he planned to invite, and sent the invitation out to them all. Most responded quickly, the teens that were still in school not responding as soon as the adults did. Palette put his phone aside and started the decoration process, making sure to play some music over the Bluetooth speakers as he worked so he stayed on task. He started off by unpacking the grocery bags. He left the eating utensils and plates on the dinner table and tossed the balloon packages near the helium tank he got. He ripped open one of them, sitting down criss-cross as he pulled out the balloons and the instructions on operating the helium tank. He struggled with the first one, the way the balloon was preset seeming foreign to him but got the hang of it soon enough. Once he tied off the strings, he'd let it fly up to the ceiling, having it decorate the sitting room and some tied to the chair Goth tends to sit at the most. He got through both packages, which provided enough for a simple look. When satisfied by the way everything was set, he got to work on the packaging of his positive test. He fished it out of his pocket with a small smile on his face, it seemingly getting wider the longer he stared at the results. He wrapped it up in tissue paper and then placed it at the bottom of a small box, filling it up with tissue paper before sealing it off and wrapping it up. He hid that box in the bottom cabinets, making sure it was tucked away in the back to avoid it being found early and began prepping the food. He was close to getting the ingredients out when he felt two hands cover up his sockets and a kiss be pressed to the top of his skull.

"Guess who managed a half day~" Palette let out a quiet giggle and tried to turn to face him, Goth keeping him in place. 

"I said guess, sweetheart, not turn around~" He teased, peppering a few kisses down his jawline before pressing one to his cheekbone.

"Okay, okay." He laughed, blindly pushing him away as he tapped his chin in thought. "Is it Fika?"

"Nice try, love~ I don't get jealous that easily~" Palette huffed mockingly, Goth releasing his hold on him and watched as he turned around to send a teasing glare his way.

"I wish you would. Then you'd know how I feel whenever someone gets too close to you." Goth chuckled lightly at the pouting face he presented himself with and pulled him into a quick peck.

"I said I don't get jealous easily, doesn't mean that I don't get jealous at all."

"You, Mister Goth Afterdeath, have been jealous of another individual?" Goth nodded, his hands now resting on either side of the smaller's waist. "I gotta hear about this. When was this and where was I?"

"Everyday." Palette opened his mouth to fight him on that, only to hush when he felt him rest his finger over it to silence him. "I get jealous of everyone who gets to see that dazzling smile of yours, hearing your beautiful voice when you laugh, see that twinkle in your eyelights when something goes your way, that adorable look you have when excited for something." Palette was surprised at this confession of his, wondering if his heat was triggered what with how touchy he was and the way he was speaking to him now. "These things are mine and mine alone, love~ And you know I don't like sharing what's mine~" He purred, his husky voice sending shivers down the cheer coach's spine as he pressed himself into his chest.

"I can't help those things, Gothy," Palette murmured, feeling him hoist him up and wrapped his legs around his waist as he clung to him. "Those things make me who I am."

"That's why I have to learn to live with it, love~" He pressed a few kisses to his neck carefully as he rested him on the countertop. "Don't ever believe that I love you so less that jealousy never occurs to me."

"I know you love me, I believe in that so much, Gothy." He murmured quietly, trying to return the affections Goth had given him in the short amount of time they spent together. "I love you too. You know that, right?" Goth gave a soft hum as an affirmation and pulled away, a loving smile on his face as he pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Do you believe it?"

"Of course I do, love." Palette beamed, cupping his face in his hands as he pressed another brief kiss. "Now, shall we get started on this giant meal?"

Palette gave a quick nod and Goth to work, hearing the fridge open up to unload the ingredients.

"How does chili lime steak with roasted vegetable sound?" Goth asked offhandedly as he slid open the freezer drawer.

"Above and beyond, huh?" Palette joshed, Goth shrugging as he pulled out the frozen meat.

"If we're inviting family, we gotta show them how much better off we are, right? Aren't dinner parties a way to one-up everyone in adulthood?" Palette let out a laugh and playfully slapped his arm.

"No. It's so everyone gets together once in a while." That earned him a jokingly stern look from his husband. "Okay~ So it is a bragathon. I just don't like phrasing it that way." He as he pulled out the pasta from the pantry. "What about some garlic alfredo to go with it?"

"We are so winning with this dinner party," Goth muttered to himself as he placed gentle cuts along the surface of the meat. "What time did you invite everyone?"

"At around six. It is a school night, so they'll probably wave by nine, probably ten at the very latest." Palette answered offhandedly as he prepared the sauce for the pasta. "We have a lot of time to get all this done."

Goth left the meat in warm water, hoping it would defrost by the time he was finished slicing up the vegetables. Palette, on the other hand, was halfway done with the pasta he had planned to serve. He set the pot to simmer while he set the plates and eating utensils on the kitchen island. Goth placed the prepared meat into the preheated oven, kicking the door shut before walking over to the sink to wash his hands.

"The steak should be done in about an hour." He announced, shutting the sink off and shaking the water off his hands until he came across a hand towel. "The decorations are nice." He nodded to the simplistic design, following Palette into the living room. The smaller plopped onto the giant beanbag, sinking into it as he kicked back and relaxed.

"And now, we wait." Goth followed his example, lying back on the couch once the remote was in his hand. "Hopefully, they show up soon."

Palette tried to keep his excitement levels to a minimum, his hand gently rubbing over his still formed stomach to assure him that it's still there. Goth noticed this small gesture, making out nothing of it since he knew it was too good to be true, and let out a quiet sigh as he thought back to earlier that day.

'I don't get it. We've tried so many times. Nothing ever works. Is there something wrong with me? I should get checked, maybe ask dad about it in case he knows something. That's gonna be awkward though.' Palette heard his sigh and glanced back over to find him staring at the ceiling.

He got out the beanbag chair he was seated in and crawled onto the couch to lay on top of Goth, watching him spare a glance his way and wrap his arms around his small frame.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Palette asked, lightly tracing small patterns into his hoodie as he waited for his answer.

"Nothing." Palette let out an annoyed huff, earning a soft snicker from his husband as he stared back at him.

"You know, you get your lying skills from your father." He pointed out bluntly, Goth letting out a bark of laughter as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Which one? Because one of them is really freaking good." Goth joshed, finally earning Palette's soft smile as he shook his head teasingly.

"Mister Geno's skills." A quiet 'oof' left Goth as he clutched his chest playfully.

"I can't be that bad, right?" Palette said nothing but giving him a knowing look, another 'oof' leaving the taller as he rolled his eyelight. "Well damn. Am I that easy to read too?" Palette gave another nod, Goth letting out a low groan at how painfully obvious he was sometimes.

"Not all the times, but most times you are." Palette clarified, recalling the birthday party proposal Goth had given to him almost a year ago. He brought his ringed hand into view, admiring the simple gold band that rested at the base of his ring finger. "What's on your mind, sweetie?"

Goth let out a defeated sigh and tighten his grip slightly, could've gone unnoticed if Palette didn't pick up on the tense feeling he got from that.

"I just wish I knew what was wrong with my magic so that we can finally have a kid of our own." Palette knew where this was headed, trying hard to suppress the urge of telling him right away about his news. "I'm sorry that-" Palette cut him off by pulling him into a sudden kiss, feeling his grip on his falter slightly as he kissed back.

"Don't be sorry, Gothy." He murmured after pulling away, his face still centimeters away from his own as he cradled his face in his hands. "I'm not upset, so you shouldn't be either. Both our magic's at fault here, you can't take all the blame. We'll both figure it out."

"What'd I do to deserve you?" He hummed, relieves to see the smile restored on his partner's face.

"Well, you fu-" the sound of the doorbell ringing cut him off from reminding him of their first time, Palette jumping off of him and dashed to the door.

He opened up, the large family walking in with awe-striking their faces when they saw the house. Goth was up by the time they reached the small bar the house came with, greeting his parents and in-laws as his siblings dispersed themselves to explore.

"Woah! This place looks so cool!" Cil jumped into one of the three bean bag chairs placed in the living room. "Mind if I keep one?"

"If you have two hundred dollars on you right now, sure." Goth jokes, Cil laughing as he got off the item in question as he shook his head.

"Nice place you got here," PJ commented, taking in the simple decorations Palette had set up.

"Thanks, it's all-" Goth was silent when Fresh presented a gift bag stuffed with tissue paper to the librarian, Goth unsure of what to do with it. "What's this for?"

"As a congratulation for your new house." Fresh explained, Raven coming up to him with a bag similar to Fresh's.

"It's not necessary. You don't-" his slinger brother cut him off by shoving his gift into his hands with a teasing smile, forcing him to grab hold of it once he saw one of the loops of the handle onto his finger.

"Ugh. Stop being such a gent and take it." Raven scoffed in playful annoyance, Goth laughing as he accepted both and delivered a light punch to his younger brother's shoulder. "Your nephew wants to see you." He gestured to his husband, who was holding the child as he talked with Palette.

Goth placed those gift bags atop the counter before walking over to the two. Blueprint saw Goth approaching him and beamed, sending a small wave his way as he held the baby out.

"He's missed you so much since your last visit." Goth grabbed hold of his carefully, cradling the child in his arms as he watched him coo and laugh when he came into view.

"He's grown a lot too." He remarked, nuzzling the child lovingly as he started to play with him. "Haven't you, Stellar? You've grown so much since I last saw you, huh?" Stellar laughed along to his altered voice.

"He's such a happy baby," Raven mumbled, softly rubbing his son's head to hear him calm down. "Hopefully our second is the same way." Palette looked up from the now blushing Blueprint to Raven, his gaze setting back on Goth, and saw his expression soften. "Speaking of kids, planning on having any?" Goth glanced up to see Palette's smile soften and nodded.

"Planning on it."

"You've got to show me around." Blueprint grabbed hold of Palette's hand, looking to Raven with a knowing look. "If I find something that I like here, you'll never hear the end of it." Raven laughed at his husband's remark and nodded, allowing both to leave the two brothers in the foyer.

"Want me to show you-"

"There's a movie theater up here?!" Goth and Raven both look up the staircase to find Blueprint rushing back to grab Raven. "They have a movie theater in one of the rooms and there's doors and everything! You have to see it!"

"Guess your husband's giving me the tour," Raven remarked as he followed his clearly excited husband up the stairs.

"Hold up, wait. There's a theater?!" That caught the attention of all the children. and they all headed up to check it out.  
Goth walked over to the sitting room, where he found his parents and in-laws talking amongst themselves. They noticed Goth's presence and ushered him over, the librarian following that simple command.

"Mind if I?" Goth shook his hand and handed Stellar to him, Reaper cradling him just as Goth had done not too long ago.

"It's almost been a year now. Any grandkids I should be expecting yet?" Ink teased, Error's lighthearted chuckle accompanying his teasing.

"Not yet. Soon enough, hopefully." Goth answered, thinking back to what Palette had reassured him of.

"Don't say that. When it happens, it's all downhill from there." Reaper advised, staring at Geno as he let out a soft chuckle.

"Raven was the one to take a toll on him when he was pregnant," Geno explained, Reaper rolling his eyelights as he played with the child in his arms. "Raven never let him have a break before and after."

"Goth had his moments though." This piqued his interest and leaned forward, Reaper snickering as he recalled the memory he was about to relay. "Remember that one time you held up a toy gun to his face?" Geno scrunched his face in thought, trying to think back to all those years ago, and laughed when he found it.

"He wanted to play cops and robbers so I said sure and he wanted to be the cop. I said okay, you know, like a good parent would, and gave him a fake officer sticker and a toy gun." Geno let out a string of laughter, Reaper snickering as he listened to his husband tell the story. "I took the gun from his hands, no fight, no, just nothing. I got it from his hands and pointed it at him. He looks into my sockets, I shit you not, with his own voided ones and he says, in probably the most confident voice I've ever heard a four-year-old use, shoot me." Goth buried his face in his hands as the adults laughed, Goth in a world of embarrassment at his younger self.

He was saved from a moment of teasing when he saw Palette and Blueprint walk into the sitting room with arms linked, both laughing without a care in the world while Raven came in and sat beside his older brother.

"You really outdid yourself with this house. Printy got a little too obsessed with the giant vanity you have set up in your room."

"Didn't mean to one-up you, Rave." Palette held back his laughter, recalling what Goth had told him when they were preparing dinner.

'Sure you didn't, Gothy.' Goth's knowingly look confirmed that he was on the same page Palette was.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure you didn't." His little brother rolled his eyelight playfully.

"Where are the others?" Goth asked, Palette simply pointing upstairs while Blueprint held a finger to his mouth. Everyone fell silent, listening in to hear the movie the teenagers were watching upstairs and returned to their usual chatter. 

"Might as well take his time to serve food."

Everyone got up to the sound of that and walked over to the dining table.

"Wait!" Everyone looked to Palette for his sudden outburst, who gave Blueprint a look before realization dawned upon him. "Go get the kids so we can all sit down together."

"I'll get them." Raven got up from his seat, cradling his child in one hand while he headed over to the staircase.

The seven watched as he caused the lights to flicker, the movie pausing shortly after, "I'm making sure each and every one of you starve!" Blueprint gave his husband a stern look, Raven only shrugging in response as he headed toward the kitchen. Not even a second after he said that, the theater room doors opened, and out they came in a flood of panic.  
The adults followed them, finding everyone already dishing their plates before Raven could keep his promise. Goth went to get his food, Palette stealing the plate from his hands and gesturing the table.

"Go sit. I'll get it for you."

"Pally, I'm more than capable-"

"Stop being such a gent." Palette echoed Raven's words, a bit of a bounce in his voice when he told him so.

Goth rolled his eyelight playfully, pulling him into what Palette thought was an innocent embrace, but blushed when he felt his hold tighten around his waist and heard him emit a small growl.

"Would you like it more if I was a little rougher on you?~"

"G-Gothy," he tried to keep his voice level, his husband's tone doing wonders that he was fully aware of, "n-not here." He murmured, pulling away shortly after he spoke and began dishing out food for him. "Go sit. I have a surprise for you~"

"Really now?" Goth followed his directions, sitting down at the head of the table while everyone gathered around him.

"Where's your..." Reaper trailed off when he saw Palette approach his side with a fully prepared plate.

"Can you put this on, baby?" Goth looked to ask what it was but silenced himself when he saw the blindfold in his hands as Palette gave him an innocent smile.

"Of course." His answer was hesitant, Palette's smiling face both reassuring and concerning as he fastened the item of choice onto him.

He removed his glasses, setting them beside his plate, and felt Palette tie the blindfold around his skull carefully. Goth could hear the flood of giggles at the table, his blinded gaze focused on his lap as he tried to stop the embarrassing purple blush from lighting his face up.

"What's the surprise?" He heard his sister Xahji ask, who was immediately shot down by Blueprint not a second later.

"Shush! He's blind, not deaf." That raised a few more laughs from the guests, Goth chuckling nervously along as he waited for the moment he could remove the blindfold.

He heard the fridge door open and close, the sound of plastic ringing in his 'ears' as he listened to it be set in front of him.

"No fuckin' way." That was definitely PJ's voice without a doubt, the sharp wince after a soft thump also coming from his direction.

"Oh my god!"

'That new voice had to be Fresh.' Goth thought as he waited patiently for whatever was to come.

"No way. So much for saying you-"

"Father! No hints, please!" Palette whined, a soft chuckle leaving the taller.

"Can I-" Goth reaches up to remove the blinding object, Palette's hands beating him to it and keeping it pressed over his sockets.

"Not yet~ Open this." He handed him the box, Goth feeling its smooth exterior before coming across the bow on top.

Goth gave it an attempt, ripping off the bow in hopes of damaging the wrapping paper it was stuck to. With the sound of the tear as his only giveaway, he began ripping the paper to shreds while listening to others hold back their laughter. He managed to pull the lid off on his blind state, his hands coming across tons and tons of tissue paper. He hurriedly pulled those out, tossing them every which way until he finally reached the bottom. He grabbed hold of the thin rectangular package, trying to get a feel of the object so that he could guess correctly.

"Is this one of those really cool laser pointer pens?" Goth asked as he aimlessly searched for the direction that Palette's laughter came, a subtle frown forming on his face when he couldn't find it in the flood of laughter.

"Are you serious?" He knew that was Raven, his childhood habit of taking any chance he had to playfully insult him distinguishing him from the rest easily.

"I think he'll have to open his eyes, Pal." He was thankful that Ink had told him that and felt the blindfold be pulled off.  
Goth blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness, and glanced down at the blurry package in hand. He jolted back in surprise when he felt Palette rest his glasses on his nasal bone once again. He looked up to find everyone's camera focused on him.

"Why are you-" Palette nudged him, bringing his attention to him before he darted his starry eyelights to the package.  
He focused on the item in hand and began peeling away the tissue paper that wrapped it. His soul pounded when he saw through the final layer, ripping that away, and stared at the shocking result.

"Is this real?" Palette laughed and nodded, revealing the cake to his husband. "No way..." his voice trailed off as magic pooled at the edge of his sockets. "There no damn way..." he stood up and held Palette close, holding the pregnancy test between the two as confirmation.

"We did it, Gothy. Our magic finally worked." Palette murmured quietly, Goth looking over the test one more one.

"Thank the stars! Thank all the damn stars!" He shouted, the guests either laughing or cooing at his excitement.

Palette let out a squeal as he was hoisted up and spun around, Goth's laughter dying down as he set Palette back on his feet and pulled him into a quick kiss. The cheer coach happily responded, holding him in place as he kissed back. Goth broke the kiss off and peppered more to his cheekbones and forehead. Reaper cleared his throat comically, the elated couple now looking to their momentarily forgotten guests.

"He's pregnant!" He cheered again, noticing all their phones still trained on the two, and a negative thought worked its way into the librarian's mind as he looked down at the test in hand.

"This is for real, right?" Palette laughed and nodded once again, even turning his attention to the cake set before the two. "This isn't some elaborate prank?"

"Come here." Palette took hold of his hand with a smile on his face as he lead him through the kitchen and took a few steps up the stairs. He turned to face him and lifted his shirt to reveal his still summoned stomach with a small inverted heart suspended in the magic. "There they are."

Goth dropped to his knees, cradling the lower half of his body, and pressed a gentle kiss to the magic protecting their child, Palette letting out a quiet chuckle as he watched his eyelight shoot up to his own.

"You have no idea how happy I am right now." He mumbled, hugging his abdomen loosely to not cause any harm to the soul.

"I couldn't keep it to myself," Palette added in agreeance, Goth standing up to hold him close, their bodies flushed against one another. Palette's hands-on Goth's shoulders while his on his hips, feeling the magic beneath his clothes making the taller's soul swell. "Anytime I thought about it, I wanted to call you and tell you, but I thought you'd like the surprise better."

"I loved the surprise. Thank you, sweetheart, ~" he purred lowly, pulling Palette into one more kiss before feeling the smaller pull back.

"Let's go eat before the food gets cold." He humored, leading Goth back to the table to find their guests laughing at their return.

"What's so funny?" Goth asked, Palette pulling up a chair to sit beside him and steal some from his plate.

"It's the fact that you couldn't believe it and that was the cutest thing ever," Blueprint started off, Raven cutting him off to finish off the thought.

"It's probably because you were expecting a fucking laser pointer over a positive pregnancy test." Laughs filled the table at his comment, Goth fairing no differently as he shook his head in embarrassment.

"Let's just forget that happened," Goth suggested, taking a bite of his food immediately after to satisfy his hunger.

"Is this one of those really cool laser pointer pens?"

Goth choked on his food, Palette stifling his laughter at the sound of his husband's voice over the video. Goth gulped down his water, glaring at Raven, who held his phone up high and replayed that moment a few more times proudly. The rest of the guests found the exchange just as amusing, Raven putting his phone away once he saw the look of disapproval his husband gave him.

"What? It's hilarious." He reasoned, hoping it would lighten up Blueprint's mood.

"It was kinda funny," Palette added humorously, Raven gesturing to the expecting skeleton.

"See? No harm is done. I know Goth still loves me." Raven looked to his brother expectantly, only for Goth to give a shrug and swallow his next bite.

"If that's what helps you sleep at night." That earned a playfully hit from his husband, Goth letting it a soft chuckle as he nudged him back.

Silence settled after that, the two showered with compliments of the food and the preparation for the party once their meals were consumed. A few hours flew by as they poked fun at one another during the easy clean-up, the time for everyone's departure nearing. The two stood side by side as they escorted everyone out, standing by the door and waving as the three cars parked in their extended driveway backed out one at a time. Palette closed the door, the sound of the lock clicking into place echoing throughout the now empty house. He felt his shoulders be squeezed lightly, Palette resting one of his hands over Goth's to hold it in place and pressed himself into his hold.

"I still can't believe that they're here," Goth murmured, his hands traveling to his front and rested above his stomach.

"Better than one of those cool laser pointer pens?" Goth delivered small kisses to his neck, a low chuckle leaving him as he gave a soft nod.

"Much better than that~"

"I'm never letting you live that down, you know." Palette remained as he headed upstairs with Goth in tow.

"I don't think our family won't let me either." Palette laughed at that, throwing his shirt onto the vanity before crawling into bed.

Goth copies his actions, putting on a pair of sweatpants before sidling up beside his expecting lover. He wrapped his arms around him, holding him close as his hand ran over the stomach in soothing circles. The soul inside radiated a soft purple glow in response, Palette letting out a quiet yawn as his sockets drooped shut.

"Good night, sweetheart." A small smile on the cheer coach's face when he felt the gentle kiss placed on the top of his head, the taller covering the two with the duvet. The lights shut off, a content sigh leaving both as the darkness enveloped them.

"Good night, future dad." Although exhausted, he could still pick up the faint sound of his cheekbones perking up and felt yet another kiss, this time directed to his cheekbones. He buried himself in his hold, as if he wasn't close enough already, and let out a yawn before succumbing to his need for sleep, Goth not too far behind from doing the same.


	26. Poth: NaJ AU: They're here now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by: @CherryCorgii
> 
> Last part to No one's taking you away

Palette tied the balloons to the table leg, letting out a soft grunt when he felt a few sharp kicks to his gut. As always, Goth came rushing to his side, one hand on his shoulder while the other rested on the small baby bump that started to take form.

"Are you okay? They didn't kick too hard, did they?" He shot questions similar to that, to which Palette responded with a firm head shake.

"I'm fine, Gothy. You worry too much." He teased, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheekbone as he pat the wrinkles out of the table cloth. "I guess they're just excited about a party just for them." Goth gave a look of askance, Palette biting back his laugh as he nodded to watch Goth kneel before him and lifting his shirt up just a bit to see the small soulling suspended in Palette's lime green magic. "Remember your bet." Goth glanced up from the soul and into Palette's sockets, a playful smirk on his face as he rose to his feet.

"I won't forget. I know it's going to be a boy." He boasted, earning a teasing shove to the side.

"It's going to be a girl." Goth pressed a kiss to his forehead, the joking pout on his husband's face vanishing in an instant.

"Whatever you say, love. I'm still sticking by my word." He reminded as he headed back into the house.

Palette rolled his eyelights teasingly, returning his attention to the decorations for the gender reveal. Pinks and blues decorated their backyard, balloon garlands hanging from tree to tree. There was an arch set up right by the door leading back into the house and one by the backyard gate with tables set beside it for the gifts that they knew their family and friends were bringing. Goth stepped out into the backyard, his hand full with a tray of food while balancing another on his forearms.

"You couldn't make two trips." Palette joshed, stealing one of the trays and eating the finger foods set on them.

"Where's the honor and glory of doing that?" He shot back jokingly, hugging Palette from behind as they looked over their decorations. "This gender reveal turned out pretty good. Maybe we should add-"

"We're already in the lead. There's no reason to overdo it." The cheer coach reminded him to keep him from going over the top again.

"I mean, might as well make it harder for them to catch up." Palette jabbed his elbow into his arm teasingly, Goth wincing as an added measure. "Okay, never mind."

"Did you invite any of your friends?" Palette asked offhandedly as he started to organize the plates and forks.

"Pfft. What friends?" Palette laughed along to his little joke. "I invited my best friend, Nightmare, Frost-"

"Wait. Is your best friend someone else?" Goth nodded to his question, Palette looking to him expectantly.

"What?" Palette smacked the palm of his hand against his face, brushing his hand down in hopes of Goth getting the hint.

Unfortunately, he didn't.

"Aren't you going to tell me their name?"

"Why? I mean you already know him pretty well. I'm surprised you don't know his name by now." He answered, setting the two-liter bottle of sodas on the buffet table.

"Gothy~" Palette whined, clinging to his arm as he nuzzled his face into his side. "Please tell me."

"His name's Palette Afterdeath." Palette pulled away to find any hints of him joking, but found a loving smile adorning his face.

"You're adorable." Palette teased, pressing a light kiss to his cheekbone. "In that case, I invited my best friend too."

"Really now?" Palette gave a sarcastic nod, wrapping his arms around his neck. "Can I know the name?"

"Goth Afterdeath." He hummed happily, Goth wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him closer.

"What a great name. Probably a great-looking guy. I hope I'll-"

"Hope we aren't interrupting something." Goth and Palette both turned to find Goth's adopted brother and his husband standing at the gate with gifts in hand.

"You invited him?" Palette whined quietly, Goth shaking his head subtly as he pulled away from Palette's grasp.

"Nah. You actually made it before everyone else, for once." Goth joshed, shaking his hand and accepting the gift given.

"This is your first kid, so when Geno called, I had to come out here. Palette doing okay?" He asked, giving a small wave to the other only to watch him turn away and focus on setting the buffet table. "Still hates me, huh?"

"It's probably the mood swings." Goth relieved that the little lie seemed to work on him. "He's been managing it pretty well. I guess the doctor giving him a small scare at the beginning made him take the advice to heart."

"Hope we aren't too early!" Goth turned, relieved he didn't have to talk to him for much longer when he saw his parents run up to him.

"Lotus beat you to it on that one. I was-"

"Palette!" Goth was surprised to his Geno run off and hug his son-in-law tightly, Palette laughing as he returned the gesture.

"Well, dad's excited." Reaper chuckled at that and nodded.

"Well. Palette did say he had the honors of naming the kid. He made me drive so he could come up with names." Goth watched as his father pulled his phone out and scrolled down, Palette's eyelights widening and pointing to a few as they passed by.

"I made one joke about Goth junior." He muttered defeatedly, hearing his dad laugh at the small comment. "I hope Castor's on there."

"Oh believe me. It is." Goth turned to Reaper, who gave a smile and pat his shoulder. "I told him to throw some space ones in there, Castor being the star you'd force us to look for whenever you were younger."

"It was my favorite. If I couldn't find it, there's no doubt that you guys could." Goth humored, both adults' attention on the gate as Raven and Blueprint showed up. "Glad you guys could make it." He took note of the double stroller and peered under the hood to find Stellar drinking from his bottle and another sleeping without a care in the world. "Who's this?"

"Say hi to Bluebird." Raven made sure to keep his voice low, worried that his baby might just wake up from the sudden noise.

"He's adorable." Raven beamed as he flicked the hood back and peered over it to look at his newborn. "I hope I'm his favorite uncle."

"You probably would be, considering the gifts you got him at our gender reveal." Goth recalled their faces as they pulled out the insane amounts of outfits they got, some for Stellar to match with his brother.

"Thanks for coming to ours, even bough it's late as all hell. Means a lot to have you guys here." Blueprint laughed as he waved off the gratitude.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world." Blueprint handed the gift bag to him. "Hopefully, my guess of them being a boy is correct." Goth peered into the bag and shifted the light blue tissue paper around to find a few adorable outfits for a baby boy.

"I told him it'd be a girl." Raven handed him the other bag in his hand, this one containing items for his preferred guess.

"Just diapers would've been fine. You didn't-"

"Again with the modesty." Raven playfully groaned to hear Goth chuckle. "I swear everyone in our house is greedy as hell for gifts and your literally the only one who isn't. You sure you aren't the adopted one?" Goth let out a string of laughs as Raven regained control of the stroller.

"It's fine. It's your first kid. You spoiled the heck out of ours, it's only fair." Blueprint added in attempts to finish off with a sweet note.

Goth chuckled at that and gestured them to follow as he took the bags to the gift table, setting them on opposite sides. Blueprint left Raven in charge of the kids as he went to greet Palette and congratulate him. Palette's family showed up next, their children in tow with gift boxes in hand.

"As expected." Raven teased lightheartedly as he watched PJ and Cil stack up to three boxes of diapers onto the center of the table. Ink and Error set a much bigger wrapped box on the ground, the weight of it seeming impossible for the table to support.

"Mister Ink, you didn't-"

"Goth, you're family now. Just Ink is fine." He reminded for the umpteenth time. "Besides, I don't think Palette would be too happy with you constantly addressing us like that."

"Please don't. He'll never let me hear the end of it." He jokingly begged, Ink laughing as shrugged.

Error piped in, enjoying messing with his son-in-law as much as Ink did. "We won't say a word. In exchange," he looked to Goth knowingly, Goth letting out a deep sigh as he held his hand out for him, "wow. So willing." He placed the laser pointer pen in his hand and watched as he slid that into his hoodie pocket.

"I'm never going to hear the end of this joke either."

"You were the one to start it." Error reminded.

"That means I gotta be the one to end it too." Goth added, a mischievous grin on his face as he planned to end this poor excuse of a joke.

"Good luck with coming up with something more embarrassing than thinking a pregnancy test was a laser pointing pen and actually getting excited for the latter." Ink finished off, the three sharing a laugh at his remark.

A few more of their close friends showed up, each bearing a gift for either possible genders and setting them on their respective sides of the table. Both piles were looking about relatively the same height once everyone had shown up, Goth having to keep an eye socket on his husband anytime he neared the table. He caught him for the third time, wrapping his arms around him from behind and hugging him close to his chest.

"Those are for them-"

"Castor, you mean." Goth's soul stopped when he heard the name, Palette shifting in his loose embrace to look up to him with a gentle smile. "Castor, if it's a boy."

"Y-You actually like that name?" Palette let out a soft chuckle, pressing a sweet kiss to his cheekbone, and nodded.

"It's adorable. Why wouldn't I?" He took hold of one of his hands and rested it on the bump between the two. "He'd be our little star."

"What if they're a girl?" Palette tapped his chin in thought, trying to come up with a name off the top of his head, but had his attempts to create a suggestion halted when he heard Goth's quiet laughter. "Didn't think of one, huh?"

"I did let your father pick and he had mostly boy names." Palette muttered, a gentle tone of green lighting up his cheekbones as his guess went unnamed.

"How about we let Ink or Error choose?" Goth glanced over to find Ink getting a refill on his drink and Error socializing with the gymnastics coach.

"Dad looks likes really into the conversation," Palette commented as the pair watched him laugh along with Cross. "Papa it is then."

"Hey Ink?!" He was surprised that his in-law heard him over the music.

"Thank the stars you didn't add Mister to that one." He teased lightheartedly, taking a small sip of the soda in hand. "What'd you guys need?" Goth opened his mouth, but Palette beat him to it.

"Papa, what would you name the baby if they were a girl?"

"Pastel." Both were surprised that he answered without skipping a beat, going to ask him how he managed to come up with a name they had grown a liking to, but were beat to it. "I was kinda hoping to throw in a suggestion when Geno said that he got the honors of naming them."

"Now we just have to wait to see what gender. It's either in Geno's favor or yours." Palette hummed quietly as he held his hand out for the cup his father held in his hand. Goth stifled his laugh when he saw Ink give him a disgusted look, cradling the cup as if it were a trophy, and lost it when he succumbed to his lover's pouting face. Palette took a quick sip, enjoying the caffeinated drink momentarily, before handing the cup back to him.

"The last thing we need is both of you on a sugar rush." Ink teased, pinching his cheekbone playfully before heading back to where Error was.

The doorbell rang clear, Goth dismissing himself from the two to go and check on if it were a guest or the balloons they were waiting for. Pleased to see that it was the latter, he footed the tip for delivery and shut the door behind him. The largest balloon, that one being the darkest color, was decorated with blue and pink question marks, the other much smaller balloons being of the same color to create the bouquet he held in his hands. The librarian returned to the party with the balloon bouquet in hand, holding the knife in the other as he attempted to find his husband, and froze when he saw Lotus standing close to Palette, a little too close for his liking. Goth let out an involuntary growl, making his way over to the pair, and grabbed hold of Palette's hand.

"Look what finally showed up." He mused, calming down a bit when he saw Palette's eyelights twinkling at the sight of the balloons.

"Oh, I can't wait!" He cheered, Goth dragging him away from his brother. "Thank you for that save."

"He was a little too close to my babies." Palette heard him growl, his attention shifting from the balloon to him.

"Are you jealous?" Goth blinked back in surprise at his own actions, loosening the tight grip on his husband's wrist. "No way, you are!"

"I don't- I'm not-"

"You, Mister Goth Afterdeath, finally revealed your jealousy to me." Palette pulled his phone out with his free hand, holding it to take a memorable selfie. "I've gotta have this framed."

"Palette~" He snickered at the taller's whine, reaching up to press a quick kiss to his cheekbone.

"I'll only put it in our room." The smaller saw that his pout never left and retired from his efforts. "Alright, but I'm not deleting the photo." Goth pressed a kiss to his temple, an affectionate hum leaving Palette as the two headed to the center of the backyard.

Goth pulled his phone out of his pocket, turning the music down to a mere whisper to get everyone's attention. Needless to say, it was obtained easily.

"The moment you guys came for," Palette announced, hearing the guests clap and cheer him on. He rose the knife high above the balloon and brought it down fast, a defeated groan leaving them when they saw he purposely missed. He went to strike again, the tension on the frail ribbons too hard and missed when they snapped. Goth frantically tried to grasp the balloon by the small bit of colorful ribbon left, proving fruitless as it slipped through his fingers. Silence fell as they all watched the balloon fly up a bit higher.

"I'm sorry Gothy, I didn't-" One of the guests interrupted his quiet apology with a heavy grunt.

"I did not travel four states over just to not see if I have a niece or nephew." The clicking sound caused Goth to look over to Lotus, who was already loading his revolver.

"Lotus, calm down! That's-" he watched him aim, standing in front of Palette protectively, and flinched when he fired his shot. A distinctive pop echoed, the expecting couple looking up to the blue confetti showering down on them. "A boy." Their friends and family began clapping, cheering for the two as the confetti sprinkled over their general area. Goth focused more on his lover's stomach, his hand resting over the small bump carefully as an instinctive smile donned on his face. "I can't believe it."

"Well. You better start. He'll be here any day now."

The party continued for a few more hours, the guests leaving one at a time during the duration until it was just their parents left behind. Goth began cleaning up, tossing all the red cups into a giant garbage bag while Palette and his parents took care of putting the trays of food inside the house.

"When's the due date?" Reaper asked as he assisted his son in folding the tables.

"Doctor said in about a two or three weeks, but I'm kind of on edge since it's so close." Goth hoisted the table into his hand and headed over to the storage shed they had in the backyard. "Palette thought it be best to have the party now so that it would ease my nerves." He threw on the air quotes and listened to his parents' laugh.

"At least he was right. Making you productive also makes you forget whatever's stressing you." Reaper pointed out as he hoisted one of the tables up onto his shoulder.

"Might want to get him admitted early just in case," Geno advised while following his son's example to get the mess situated faster.

"I was thinking of taking him tomorrow. Better safe than-"

"Goth!" The three looked to find a panicked Error standing in the doorway. "It's Palette!"

The table he held clattered to the ground, the librarian dashing to the house and saw his husband leaning against a wall on the floor, clutching his stomach as his face contorted in pain. He kneeled down before him, one hand over the bump to feel sharp movement every now and then while the other cradled his cheekbone. His sockets shot open and stared into Goth's as he let out a heavy grunt.

"G-Goth... doctors, now!" He followed his orders, hoisting him into his arms while his parents ran ahead and started their car. Geno took control as the driver, Reaper helping Goth ease Palette into the vehicle before taking off quickly.

The ride there was short, considering how many red lights Geno managed to pass through and the limit he was going at without getting caught by the police. He kept his road rage to a minimum, hearing the pained groans of his son-in-law as time passed. Goth kicked the door open swiftly, holding the cheer coach in his arms again, and hurried into the hospital. A few of the passing nurses caught sight of them before Goth had a chance to say something and ushered for them to follow into the emergency room. He laid Palette on the bed, the head nurse pushing past him to get the pained cheer coach prepared.

"Sir, we need you to step out-"

"No! I need to be here! Palette's-"

"Goth, we gotta go." Reaper rested his hand on his son's shoulder in hopes of calming him down, but Goth moved away from that easily.

"I can't leave Palette!" He turned to step back inside the room but found the door shut. He tried the handle, hearing a taunting click every time he twisted it.

"Goth, you need to relax," Reaper advised as he guided his son to the chairs set up in the waiting area. "He's going to be fine, trust me."

Reaper managed to sit him down for a mere few seconds before watching him rise to his feet to pace the room as one hand rested at the back on his neck, a nervous tick he picked up from his parents. Geno joined them in the waiting area after finally finding a parking spot in the visitor's garage. He rested a hand on Goth's tense shoulder, his son's empty gaze staring at him as he put his pacing on hold, and took a deep breath as an example for his son to do the same, a small smile when he saw him copy.

"Goth, it'll be fine. The last thing you both need is you worrying yourself sick."

"But what if something goes wrong?" He asked helplessly, looking back down the hall in hopes of seeing his door open up. "I mean, we thought we couldn't have a kid up until a few months ago, and now here he is, being born probably three weeks before he's due. What if something happens to him? What if something happens to Palette? What if-" Geno pulled him into a tight hug, cutting Goth's sentence short immediately as he sunk into the comforting grip. "I don't want either of them to get hurt." His plea was muffled by his shirt, Reaper resting his hand on his back and creating a soothing circle pattern to calm him down.

"Nothing's going to happen to Palette or Castor." Geno mumbled, Reaper humming in agreement.

"He's right. I mean, Xahji was two weeks early, hell, Sorrell being four weeks early, and they're fine." Goth pulled away from the grip, looking to his mother figure for any signs of false comfort. "I'm serious, you know. Besides, you said probably when you told us. Maybe the doc got the dates mixed up. It happens."

"But what if-" the sound of crying filled the halls, Goth's attention of Palette's room door and found it open.

He wasted no time getting to his door, seeing the curtains drawn shut and the doctor washing her hands at the sink. She turned to grab paper towels and found Goth standing at the door with wide sockets, a smile lighting up her face as she gestured for him to head inside. The soft pitter-patter of his footsteps could be heard before the curtains let out a quiet screech when being pulled back. He met Palete's tired gaze, his built-up stress crumbling down as Palette ushered for him to come closer. Goth stood beside him, taking his husband's hand into his own and pressing a chaste kiss to his palm.

"Congratulations. A healthy baby boy." She bundled up the baby skeleton in a soft hospital blanket before handing him over to Goth. "We'll come back with the birth certificate and some paperwork." She disposed of her gloves shortly after and left the family alone.

"He's here. He's actually here." Goth mumbled as if his sight was deceiving him.

"Say hi to Castor." Palette yawned, tossing onto his side to watch him rock their newborn.

"Palette," Goth leaned over and pulled him into a brief kiss, the smaller humming softly as the comforting sense of love buzzed through his exhaustion, "I love you so much."

"Love you too, hot stuff~" Goth chuckled at the pet name, pressing a kiss to his cheekbone this time around.

"You did such a good job, love."

"Couldn't have done this without you," Palette mentioned as he held one of Goth's hands in his own, twining their fingers together out of habit. "Thank you for believing in us."

"I wouldn't have kept believing if it weren't for you, Pally." The cheer coach chuckled at his words, his sockets dropping shut.

"Wake me up in a few, okay?" Goth looked to the soul monitor before agreeing to his terms, slight paranoia picking at his mind as he watched the line remain consistent as he slept. Once he felt that negative thought be put to rest, he refocused on his son, tears pricking the corners of his socket when he let out a small yawn.

A gentle rapping at the door caught his attention, his parents peeking in to find Palette fast asleep and Goth motioning for them to step inside. Reaper made sure to shut the door behind them softly in order to keep from disturbing Palette's much-needed rest, Geno squealing quietly at the adorable infant bundled in the pastel blue blanket.

"Castor, look. Grandpa's here to see you." He cooed quietly.

"Let me hold him first." Goth looked to Reaper, smiling as he stood up to hand him over.

"Careful. Watch the head." He muttered, cradling his son's skull while Reaper held him.

"Guess you're gonna be called the mom." Reaper teased as he took over so Goth could finally let go.

"What? No, I'm not."

"When you're worrying like that, you sure are." He humored, Geno snickering as he moves to stand behind Reaper. "The kid's got his mother's looks, that's for sure." He commented as he carefully ran his thumb over the small yellow flower-like mark covering the edge of his cheekbone, and stared in awe when he watched Castor open his sockets just a crack. 

"And already living up to his namesake."

Goth let out a questioning hum, sending the happy news over the family group chat before returning to his parent's side.

"What do you-" he saw what they meant by that. One of his sockets was voided, just as his were, and the other held a yellow star shining bright. "Castor." He mumbled his name breathlessly, Reaper handing him back to his father so that Goth could actually look at him better. "My beautiful baby." He mumbled, pressing a kiss to his forehead once again as he held him closer to himself.

When the rest of the family showed up, the nurses had to put a visiting restriction to keep the newborn calm and the new mother in a stress-free environment. Goth didn't mind the silence, actually enjoying it as the baby in his arms stared at him in awe. A quiet hum rose Goth from his trance and found Palette waking up from his well-deserved nap.

"Morning sweetheart." Palette cracked a smile, placing his hand over his stomach out of habit to find the bump no longer there. "Looking for someone?"

"Let me see him." He sat up in bed, making grabby hands at him in hopes of convincing him to hand him over. Goth reluctantly gave Castor back to Palette, giving him the same forewarning he gave his parents only to earn a small pout. "Gothy, I know. I asked Blueprint everything while I was pregnant." He softly brushed his thumb over the underside of the child's socket, watching them open up and twinkle at the sight of his mother, and Palette couldn't help but to reciprocate that simple trick. "He's adorable! A real cutie, just like his daddy."

"Thought he took after his mommy a little bit more." Palette attention drifted to the small mark on his face, smiling as he reached up to touch the flower on his own face. "How much you wanna bet he's going to grow up as outgoing as you?"

"Are you forgetting how I was in high school? I don't want to witness another emo phase."

"Aww, but you were an adorable emo child~" Goth cooed, peppering his jawline with light kisses.

"Okay, okay, stop it, mister." He giggled, pushing him away to feel him press a kiss against the palm of his hand. "Gothy~"

"What? Is it wrong for me to shower my beautiful husband with my love and affection?" His overdramatic question earned an eye roll from the other.

"It is when my parents are witnessing it." Goth's eyelight shot to the door, seeing Error and Ink standing there with amused smiles on their faces.

"Oh, by all means, go ahead." Ink teased, Goth burying his face into Palette's neck as a prolonged groan left him.

"You always do these things to yourself, Gothy." Palette nudged him off with his shoulder and ushered for his parents to come closer. "Meet Castor." Ink balled his fist, pressing the thumb against his mouth to avoid squealing when he saw the child's precious face. "Wanna hold him?"

"It'd be better if he stayed by-" Error's voice was drowned out by Ink's sudden answer.

"I do, just to rub it in Geno's face." Palette looked to Ink, watching him make grabby hands at the child just as he had done not too long ago.

"Leave it to dad to brag about something." Goth scoffed as Palette handed the child to him. Ink held him close, pressing a soft kiss to the small one's temple as he rocked him. Palette leaned into Goth's hold, a content smile on his face as he watched his father cooed meaningless words to the infant. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Gothy. You can calm down now."

"I mean. Everything happened all of a sudden. The doctor said-"

"Whenever they were kicking earlier today, I just kind of... it felt like he was going to come today or tomorrow. Those first few kicks kind of started him off with the moving around and I got scared. I was glad Blueprint came to the party, otherwise, I probably would've panicked." His confession earned him a quick kiss on the top of his head.

"You could've told me, sweetheart." He reminded, Palette nodding as he realized that mistake.

"You were so stressed about everything as it is and I didn't want to add to it."

"What would I have done if you-" Palette giggles softly at his husband's musing, Goth pausing and looking to him in confusion. "What?"

"You use your imagination a little too much, Gothy." He joshed, Goth snickering as he shook his head at his playful wording.

"That's a funny way to say anxiety." Palette held a finger to his mouth in effort to silence him, a smile gracing his face when he saw that it did.

"Trust me. I'll always be okay." Goth raised his hand, Palette laughing as he took his finger away to allow him to speak again

"At least promise you'll let me know if something's happening." Palette went to argue on that, but Goth beat him to it, copying his actions from earlier so he could get his point across. "I get that you don't want me to worry, but I'd worry much less if you told me so my 'imagination' won't have to make anything up."

"Alright. I'll-" his promise was cut short when he heard Castor whine, sitting up straight and holding his hands out to Ink.

"I didn't do anything, I swear!" He panicked, handing Castor back over to his parents and watching his son take care of the crying child.

Palette was a natural, cradling Castor close and humming quietly as he checked him over, the smile on his face never-ending as he came to the conclusion of what he needed.

"He was just hungry, papa." He giggles, a soft blush lighting up his face as he hoped his parents would take the hint and leave. Error knew that wish all too well, recalling his own experiences with that, and nodded to Palette, grabbing hold of Ink's arm and escorting his stubborn husband out the room. He saw Goth getting up from where he had gotten comfortable and laughed, causing him to turn back. "You can stay, Gothy. You've pretty much seen all of me."

"Who said I was leaving?" He evened the curtains out to block any view from the windows.

Palette took this chance to feed him, Goth returning to his side in a few seconds to gently cradle the back of his son's head. It didn't take much to have the child's hunger be satisfied, the burping process not taking long either, and fell asleep after soft back rubs accompanied with light taps. "Castor Afterdeath." Palette looked to Goth, finding his gaze already set on him.

"Castor Afterdeath." He mimicked his words, enjoying the way they sounded and even more so knowing that he was responsible for that name.


	27. Poth: Swapfell: Surprises

Gloom couldn't recall when the castle was as lit up and as decorated as it was now. There were many people, both humans, and monsters alike, in his father's court and all had gravitated towards the well-decorated castle to celebrate his wedding anniversary. The orchestra played beautifully from the ballroom and tables decorated with all sorts of meals were lined along the halls. The young heir swayed in place as he listened to the gentle song and smiled when he saw his father dancing with the love of his life in the center of the room. Although he knew his mother figure preferred the suits his father had made, the gown he opted to wear made him a stunning sight to see. Gloom's eyelights snapped up to the door when he saw his personal servant walk in with a tray balanced in the palm of his gentle hand. He bowed before the nobles he was serving, the full glasses of red wine is replaced with the empty ones in a matter of seconds. He licked his 'lips' tastefully as he watched him bow before them once more and leave, blinking a few times and finding him no longer blessing him with his presence. He focused back on the couples dancing and softly clapped along with everyone else when the music came to a halt. Gloom beamed when he saw his fathers bow before one another before addressing the people of their kingdom. He watched all the guests trail behind his parents as they guided them out of the castle. They all took their time to bid the prince adieu, whether that be shaking his hand or through gentle embraces as they walked out the ballroom. The young prince turned back to examine the now empty room. Out the corner of his sockets, he found him cleaning up the few food tables that they had set aside for everyone, watching with a careful gaze as he managed the cleaning project.

"Oh, Pibiddi~" Gloom called, grinning as his call had grabbed his attention instantly.

With calculated strides, the loyal servant over to his side and bowed before the prince, "yes, my lord?"  
Gloom gently rested his hand on his shoulder, "I believe it ill-mannered that my servant, my best friend, hadn't thought to check up on me even once through the party," the taller bit back a laugh as the other jolted upright, holding his other hand out slightly in front of him, "as my compensation for this behavior, I ask if I may have this dance?"

"M-My lord? A-Am I-"

"I'm asking for your permission. There is nothing wrong with rejecting the offer." He laughed softly.

"O-Oh. Erm..." he stood up straighter and stepped forward.

"It's your choice, princess." Gloom reminded, calming his teasing tone after seeing a flash of panic in the other's starry red eyes.

Now Pibiddi was put in the spotlight. Truth be told, he was well aware of his master's infatuation, the prince very openly presented his affections, his usual teasing mannerisms keeping his attraction well hidden, while Pibiddi would try his hardest to suppress any sort of reaction, he knew a positive conclusion to a relationship similar to their own was not feasible, but that didn't hinder his desire to be near the taller. He cleared his throat and stood taller, lining up his hand with the others before meeting his shocked expression.

"W-We are alone, yes?" Gloom didn't hesitate to nod, gesturing to the empty ballroom and the lack of footsteps anywhere, "then of course. Anything for you, my lord." He answered confidently, resting his hand on his chest while the other hand took a firm hold of his.

A sly grin soon replaced the stoic expression, returning the hold on the smaller as Gloom whisked him away into a calm waltz, the absence of music insignificant to the pair that danced throughout the ballroom.

"You're quite the dancer, my lord," Pibiddi commented as their path remained intact, a soft orange flushing his cheeks at the husky chuckle that bubbled from his partner.

"I was given a number of lessons on how to woo my betrothed." he reminded, snickering at the sudden flood of orange that engulfed his servant's face, "luckily it works on the one I want, too."

"If you can recall, I was present during those lessons, my lord. It is for that very reason I had you lead."  
It wasn't very often did Pibiddi see the other fluster by his words, so he treasures the moments he managed to stir such a vibrant shade of red from the typically composed prince, a flurry of giggles slipping from him as Gloom held him up and spun him around effortlessly. He soon found himself set back on his feet shortly after, their dance resuming to the same slow pace set earlier. The servant reached up with a free hand and gingerly took hold of the other's cheek, a smile of a similar nature lighting up his face as the taller leaned into the warm gesture. Pibiddi took his chance and nestled his head in the crook of the taller's neck, their bodies flushed against one another, and their waltz had been reduced to the slow sway of their weight from one leg to the other. The prince spared a worried glance at the skeleton that grew weak in his arms, nudging the smaller carefully while tightening his hold on him.

"What's the matter, princess? Are you exhausted?" He inquired, unable to mask the disappointment of their time together being cut short from brewing.

"Not at all," his head perked up with a mischievous grin on his face, sticking his tongue out playfully before pressing into him once more, "I wanted to be closer to you."

"I admire the boldness, Pibiddi. It's a good look," he teased before halting their subtle movements, "though you seem to have forgotten who you're speaking with."

"I have not forgotten that you are my prince, that I live to serve you, but, right now, at this moment in time," the hooded skeleton spared a glance up and grinned, "I am speaking to my closest friend."

"Are you sure there is nothing more?~" he purred, searching those russet starry eyes for even an inkling of embarrassment, more than happy to spot it and watch the other shy away from his gaze.

"I-I wouldn't want to o-offend my lord with such specious thoughts."

The confidence that continued to radiate from his flustered companion left Gloom in a blissful state of awe, his single eye glowing bright the longer he looked his way, "specious? Not the word I'd use..." he trailed off, Pibiddi wordlessly resting his head against his shoulder and letting his sockets fall shut.

"Hmm? What word would you use to call this?" he motioned to their nearly halted dance and the lack of space between their chests.

"Many things, really," he brought their quiet movements to a pause, watching as his partner's eyes opened up, "pulchritudinous. Enchanting. Lovely. Heavenly, for sure," the tired giggles that followed the prince's line spurred a chuckle of his own, "what's all this?"

"This effort. You're trying far too hard to earn my affections," Pibiddi muttered, his line of sight trailing down from the single eye to the pair of 'lips' that had claimed his own time and time again. Oh, what the smaller would do to feel them brush against his once again.

Gloom gave a toothy grin when he noted where his line of sight had crept down to, "you would be surprised at what I would do to earn such a high reward~" he let this realization of his be known, barely needing to lean forward to feel his breath mingle with his own. He watched as the starry eyes were slowly drawn shut in anticipation, the taller lightly tilting his head up only to hear a flood of footsteps echoing down the quiet halls of the castle. Pibiddi's eyes were open wide at the sound, frantically pushing himself away from the prince despite his calm composure and constricting hold.

"My lord! Be serious!" He hissed as he tugged at the arms that held him close, listening to him chuckle and only tighten his hold, "I'm going to get in serious trouble!"

"Shouldn't have flirted with me if you were this scared of getting caught~" he cooed teasingly, snickering as his eyes narrowed.

"Me?! I never flirted with you! You bedded me!"

"Oh?" his hold went slack, the starry-eyed skeleton managing to tear himself away from his side and occupy themselves with a nearby table, "I recall a certain someone always looking after my wellbeing, asking my parents to be the one to tend to my personal needs. Can I rest assured that that person is not you?"

The footsteps outside came to a dead halt at the ballroom doors, the prince looking up to find his parents inspecting the area, sending a small wave to his mother.

"Enjoy the party?" Gloom nodded, taking a few steps to join their side, "we have come to a decision regarding your request."

"And the final verdict is...?" The prince tempted, wanting to hear their answer before turning to face his personal servant.

His mother cleared his throat, Gloom's line of sight trailing from one to the other as he beamed, already having an inkling of what conclusion they had drawn, "you and Pibiddi have our approval and a wedding date has been set."  
The starry-eyed skeleton's head shot up at the words his queen had uttered, eyes darting to the two before settling on the single eye of his prince.

"M-My lord?" His stammered words roused laughter from the king and queen, a bright orange hue flaring up as Gloom too chuckled at his confusion.

The heir's smile softened as he leaned forward, embracing his mother and listening to him hum as he returned the gesture, "thank you, mother. I promise he will not fail to meet your expectations."

"Considering the impudent child you were when it came to settling the matter of your marriage, neither of us has any doubts."

With that, the royal couple left the room, leaving the loyal butler and the prince alone to sort out the surprise, Pibiddi clutching the tray tightly when he found himself standing before the taller once more, "y-you had already told them?"

The taller nodded as he grasped the tray the smaller clutched tightly, resting it on the table before gingerly taking hold of his hands, lightly kissing his fingered before grinning, "they were already looking at possible brides. Told them I wasn't having it like the brat they raised me to be," there was no stifling the laughter that bubbled out, the starry-eyed skeleton reduced to giggles as Gloom depicted princess after princess in such a horrid light, "there's a reason I call you my princess, love."

The smaller could only hum in response when the other's careful hand found its way back to his face, allowing the taller to do as he pleased as he took this chance to tease the kingdom's heir, "seems you've been planning this for quite some time then."

"I knew better than to get you all excited for something that had even the slightest chance of being implausible."

"You really believe that I am fit to rule beside you?"

Gloom made a show of looking over the hooded servant standing before him, his calculated gaze scanning over both his posture and tense expression. The obvious worry grew tenfold at the single shake of his head, the instantaneous reaction delicious.

"The king and queen- they said- You know they expect so much and I- if I'm not-"

"Calm yourself, princess-"

"How?! I barley-"

Gloom interrupted once more, grasping his panicking lover's shoulders firmly and halting his words almost instantly, "do you trust me?"

"Gloom, I-" any refuting words the smaller wished to utter were silenced with another reiteration of his previous question, a shaky sigh leaving him as he nodded, "absolutely."

"Then believe me when I say that you are absolutely fit to rule by me." the previous incredulous look he wore morphed into one of frustration, the sudden change accompanied by the light punch to the chest.

"But you just said-" the laughs that followed did nothing but aggravate him, though any form of aggression had been placated at the sight of the ring he produced from his coat pocket, the whine short-lived as the ring traveled down to the base of his finger, "I can't even lecture you properly."

Gloom scoffed at the remark, "I can recall multiple occasions where you've done so. Knowing the appropriate time to do so among the other skills you've picked up through the lessons you taught me, well..." he pressed a kiss to the ringed hand, "I believe that is the makings of a perfect queen. Wouldn't you agree?~"

The smidge of space between them vanished the moment Pibiddi took a slight step forward, "if you insist, my prince."


	28. Kreme: Good talk

The squeaks of the cabinet doors opening and closing were nearly consistent, the muttering that accompanied it hardly waning with every passing second. The final slam echoed throughout the apartment, the skeleton looking over the treats he had acquired for the marathon, sparing a glance over at the flat screen to find that the first season had already started. His void-like sockets widened, grabbing hold of what he could and bolted towards the living room in a blind panic. Tossing the snacks onto the empty couch, he moved to take a seat, only to realize that it was the start of a trailer for the upcoming season. His gaze trailed over to the microwave behind him, the popcorn only a minute away from perfection, and allowed his eyes to wander back to the screen. Just then, his phone buzzed to life, the teary-eyed skeleton rummaging through the plethora of snacks he had accumulated to finally hear its muffled vibration clear up. With a quick swipe, he answered the call, leaving his phone on the coffee table to tend to the microwave that seemed to call out for his attention. The initial silence broke the second the caller realized the call had been tended to, a laugh leaving him when he picked up on the faint audio of the tv.

"Lemme guess, you got the marathon on?"

"Damn right I do."

"And you're sure that you aren't pulling some shit?"

"I'm tellin' ya. I know it's him. It's gotta be him.. It happens only when he looks at the camera. Turn on your tv."

"Just open the door, asshat." Not even a moment later, there was a knock, the groan echoing from both his phone and the one outside.

"Horror, no! You're gonna screw this up for me!"

"Easy there, Kills. You already know it ain't gonna work for me. Plus I gotta be the first one to roast the fuck outta ya if it doesn't work." The door swung open shortly after he sent the reminder to meet the lazy grin of his friend. "Hope you don't mind. Brought someone along."

"I swear to god if it's Dust-" the thought wasn't given much time to finish, stemmed to silence by the various hoots paired with the heavy footsteps that seemed to bolt up the stairs. At the mention of his name, Dust appeared, the hooded skeleton grinning widely as he ushered Horror to step inside while the door was open.

"I've got snacks! Oh," he reached into the pocket of his hoodie and produced a small package, forcefully slipping that into the hand of the balled fist Killer had, "that's for you. A congratulations gift from Blue."

Killer hardly had a chance to sneak in a word through their brief exchange, the package that was now in his possession staring right back at him, his face flushed at the sight of the small variety pack of condoms in hand.

"Yo, hurry your ass up! Your Dreamy's interview's about to start!" That snapped him out of it almost instantly, slipping the contraceptives into his pockets as he locked the front door.

"Turn it up, turn it up." He called out as he made his way to the couch, his unexpected guests keeping their eyes trained on Killer.

The teary-eyed skeleton merely leaned forward at the sight of the purple skeleton entering the stage with a humble smile, his face flushing a soft gray at the sight of the golden skeleton following him out from behind the curtains and waving to the live audience before taking a seat. Though behind the screen and a million miles away, Killer instinctively rose his hand up, sending a small wave back as if the smaller could see the gesture. The show host's playful words fell onto deaf ears, the hue that engulfed his cheeks growing darker at the sound of his honey-sweet laughter.

"If I'm being completely honest, we had placed bets that I'd be the first one to find my soulmate."

"Oh ho~ Is that jealousy I'm hearing?" The host teased playfully, Killer leaning into his hands with a love-struck sigh as a flurry of adorable giggles left the interviewee.

"Hardly. I'm happier than anything that Night's found him."

"Still got everyone eluding the name of your fiancé?" Nightmare chuckled at the jab and nodded, as if proud that his soulmate's identity has yet to be discovered.

"There's no such thing as too careful."

"You gotta disclose somethin'. Your fans out there are dying to know."

The purple skeleton gave a smug grin and leaned back into the couch, "you'll get nothing out of me."

"It's gotta be some lucky fan then?" The lack of reaction had the host laugh, "so it is!"

"If that is what you want to believe, then who am I to judge?" He offered in turn, Dream's chuckle stirring the warmth in the teary-eyed skeleton's soul.

"Never thought I'd see this look on ya, Kills. Suits ya." Horror chuckled, soon laughing at the gray hue that only grew in saturation as he promptly flipped him off.

"What about you, Dream?" The call to his beloved had Killer's attention once more, his line of sight trained on the skeleton in question. "Any sort of disappointment that your soulmate might not be some sort of hotshot?"

"Oh ho~ This one's for-"

"Shut the hell up!" The two witnesses jolted at the sudden volume, both zipping their mouths shut as they waited to hear the actor provide his answer.

"Why would I be?" That gave him hope, the teary-eyed skeleton on the edge of his seat as he waited for him to continue, "in fact, I'd like to say I'd hope for it."

"I suppose it's all this time in the spotlight that makes a more mundane life seem desirable, yes?" Dream chuckled as he gave a slow nod.

"Don't get me wrong. I love doing what I do. Being such a big part in so many people's lives, seeing the fans dress up as my character at comic con, it's a whole other feeling, but I'd like some peace and quiet, time to settle down."

"Am I hearing retirement is the option you'll turn to?" That question had the corners of the viewer's mouth dip, shaking head slowly as if Dream's answer would be influenced by the short gesture.

"Come on Dreamy. I know you wouldn't..." Killer muttered to himself, a sigh of relief leaving him as he shook his head.

"Retirement's not coming until the show's over. I'll still be here. I'll still be playing the characters that everyone loves. I'll just ask for a more private personal life, make updates on my own time. That isn't unreasonable, is it?" He asked, turning to the live audience to hear them agree with the golden skeleton, their answers chiming in tandem before he looked to the camera, his mouth ajar as if he wanted to say something to the viewers at home, only his words never came.

In that brief glimpse, Killer felt that similar pang in his wrist, disbanding the discomfort completely when he saw the smaller flinch at the twinge of pain. Though it all happened so fast, the smaller's blink severing the connection and ending the subtle pain immediately, the reaction didn't go unnoticed by anyone, especially not the show host, who was now squealing in delight.

"And it seems that they're watching this show now! Anything you've got to say to them?"

"I..." Dream's words seemed to be failing him, which gave the darker twin a chance to effortlessly swoop in and answer for him.

Much of what the twin had said had been drowned out by the baffled screams of his friends and Killer's own excitement. His usual target-shaped soul morphed to one that mimicked its typical form, the upside-down heart enveloped with such a strong sense of love that it spread through his bones, the teary-eyed skeleton smiling big as his friends rejoiced his discovery.

"No fuckin' way! There's no goddamn way!" Horror shouted, laughing as he delivered a firm clap to his back. "You really weren't pullin' shit outta your ass!"

"I know where this studio is. We gotta get to L.A. ASAP!" Dust jingled the keys in his hand, "road trip!"

"Isn't it twenty-two hours from here?" Dust waves off the lovestruck skeleton's concern and laughs as he made an attempt to utilize a different excuse.

"I already told Blue that I'm dipping the second we confirm your bull isn't shit. Speaking of," he pulled out his phone and dialed the monster in question, stepping into the kitchen to inform the smaller of their impromptu travel plans.

"Blue's gotten to his head," he muttered, looking to Horror fiddle with his phone for a bit, probably texting his soulmate about their departure, "yo, I know it's late and shit, so you don't have to-" Killer began in attempts to dismiss Horror from Dust's spontaneous plan, the scarred skeleton rolling his single eyelight at his friend's fruitless effort.

"If you didn't drag me out to that bar that night, I wouldn't have met Lust, Kills. I'm comin' with." Horror assured, pocketing his phone once Dust hung up the call.

"Let's go meet our sweet brother-in-law!" He grabbed hold of Killer's arm and tugged him onto his feet before looking at Horror, "grab the snacks, Kills you lock up. I'll get the car ready."

Killer plodded over to the TV, pausing the show to meet the actor's gaze once more, gently rubbing his aching wrist the longer he looked into his sunkissed eyes. The thought of his suspicions becoming reality had the wide smile he wore return in full force, the honking from outside reminding him of the little time he had to spend staring at his photos or rewatching a few scenes that he admired greatly. In a handful of hours, he'd be in front of the real deal and damn did that thought leave him giddier than he thought he'd be.

"See ya in a bit," He hummed as he shut off the tv.

The lights in his apartment were quick to follow, Killer stepping out into the cool night with Horror in tow after his phone and wallet were in his possession. With the subtle click confirming that the door was indeed locked, the two heading down the stairs, Horror climbing into the backseat while Killer stole the passenger seat.

"Next stop, Los Angeles." Dust declared promptly after smoothly backing the car out of the parking spot, driving off immediately as Killer looked out the window. Despite the sight of the moon that lit their path, the teary-eyed skeleton couldn't wipe the smile off his face, "I'll take the wheel after the first pit stop." He offered, Dust nodding along as he rode the ramp onto the freeway.

"Fine by me. Now play some music, yeah? No way in hell am I making this drive in dead silence."

The scarred skeleton occupying the back seat laughed as he took hold of the aux cord, plugging his phone in and selecting the first playlist that came up, Killer producing his own phone from his pocket so he could continue streaming his beloved's interview. Dust managed to snag a quick glance at what had captured his passenger's attention, not surprised in the slightest by who was on his screen.

"What are they asking about that's got him blushing?" Killer chuckled and showed the two what he was watching.

"They're asking about me," he chuckled as he increased the volume, Horror reducing his in turn so that they could properly hear the questions that flustered the golden skeleton, "last question they asked was about how he's gonna find me."

"Little do they know," the driver chuckled as he switched the car into autopilot, "what'd he say?"

"He's got nothing. Since he doesn't know where I am, it's impossible for him to set out and find me without paparazzi getting on-" he silenced himself as Dream spoke up again, shushing the other two despite neither of them uttering a single word since Dust's question.

"I need them to reach out to me, whichever way they see fit."

"Don't you think your fans would take advantage of that offer?" The host asked, both his and Nightmare's concern for the actor obvious yet Dream seemed unfazed by the potential reaction.

"They might or they might not. Considering who my brother is, I don't think that would be an issue," he chuckled, the darker twin taking this as his cue to show off the threatening cyan hue that engulfed his eyes, his magic spiking as he looked towards the sea of people that would deceive his brother.

He growled lowly, only his threat being overshadowed by the smaller's adorable giggles and the squeals of the fans that made up the live audience.

"Send him a message, Kills!"

"He's probably getting a flood of messages right now..." he muttered, Horror smacking the back of Dust's skull.

"No. This kinda shit don't work over messages, you know that. He'll see him when he sees him." He advised, siding with Killer on this one despite the actor's wish. "Words ain't ever gonna be enough for this."

"You said it..." the teary-eyed skeleton sighed, his gaze drifting back to the show as he watched the host close off by expressing his overwhelming gratitude to the pair. "Bye, little light." He sweetly bid once more, shutting his phone off so that his line of sight can be affixed on the city they were leaving behind.


	29. A fresh start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 to Poth: Happier 
> 
> Warning: Mature content ahead

A string of disgruntled grumbles left the colorful skeleton as the buzzing of his phone stirred him awake. He managed to swipe his thumb across the screen, effectively silencing its incessant buzzing before tossing it aside and almost fell back into the tight clutches of his sleep had it not been for the voice that followed the brief pause, jolting up in bed to find where his phone had disappeared to. 

“Cray? Can you hear me? Hello?” 

His mismatched eyes went wide when he realized who was on the other side, now attempting to follow that muffled voice to find his phone. A sharp thud followed the quick flick he gave the duvet, wincing at the thought of its screen shattering upon impact and slowly peeking over to find that it was still intact. He scooped the device up off the ground and placed the call on speaker, stretching a bit as he answered. 

“Yeah, I hear ya, G. Couldn’t find my phone for a hot second.” 

“I’m assuming you missed the clock too then? You’re late to breakfast.” The skeleton could practically hear the frown through the call, rolling his mismatched eyes as he slipped out of bed. 

“I couldn’t make it, G. I had this meeting to get to the next town over by noon,” he admitted as he slipped out of bed, “I had a day to waste before I got there and figured I was close enough to pop in, say hey to my favorite old friend.” 

“Didn't think I’d be downgraded from best friend to old friend over a phone call,” he remarked with a laugh, Cray chuckling as he shook his head to subdue the single thought that came to mind. 

‘Didn't think I’d be turned down over a phone call either.’ 

With another firm shake, it was gone, the taller digging through his bag to find a fresh set of clothes. 

“Sorry about that. Figured Palette took my spot.” He joked, attempting to keep his voice as lax as possible only to feel the pain to seep in when mentioning the name of the monster Goth yearned for. 

“No, never. Speaking of Palette,” there was a pause, almost as if the caller was looking around before speaking, “you didn’t tell him I called you last night, did you?” 

“No,” he lied almost effortlessly, “why? Something happen?”

“He showed up...” his already quiet words trailed off into an incoherent mumble, Cray sending a playful glare at his phone when he realized what his friend had hidden behind. 

“God, you still haven’t grown out of that, have ya? Get your face out of that scarf and tell me what he did, G.” He joked as he threw on a plain white tee. 

“He… He brought flowers and asked me to dinner tonight…” 

“N-Needless to say that you said yes?” He chuckled as he pulled on a pair of dark jeans, relieved that he wasn’t near his phone enough for Goth to hear the slight stumble in his voice. 

“It was like a dream come true, Cray,” he sighed almost blissfully, “I had to make sure you didn’t force him to do this.” 

“Nah, I didn’t tell him to do anything. Just let him know that he screwed up yesterday by leaving early and he was gonna go through hell if he made you upset again.” 

“Cray! You didn’t actually say that, did you?” The worry that soaked his voice was almost too amusing to the skeleton, his laughter giving away the answer to his question, “without part B of that message, yeah?” 

“Yeah, ya dork. I still wanna get an invite to the wedding.”

“Who says we’d make it that far?”

“You cried over the kid not spending the day with us and he hated how he left early,” he could basically see the blush on his face when he brought both their reactions to yesterday to light, “yeah, you both’ll make it way farther than that.” 

“Alright, shut up before he starts worrying.” 

“You fuckin’ grape, I knew it,” he laughed, hating how his soul continued to thrum at the sound of his laughter, “anyway, I thought I could make it. I didn’t think the meeting was happening so soon. Just have some dessert on me, celebrate the lovely couple’s union.” 

“You make it sound like we already-”

“Gothy, got our orders placed- Woah! Are you feeling okay? You’re flushed.” Cray snickered at the call-out, listening to Goth stumble through an excuse only to hear him fuss over the smaller in return. 

A small, sad smile worked its way on his face, listening to the pair go back and forth lovingly only to remember his own experience with Goth’s stubbornness, issuing himself another reminder to avoid antagonizing the artist on the other end. 

‘He’s a good guy. He really is gonna take good care of him. Goth deserves a good guy.’

Palette managed to knock him out of that endless loop of questions, placing the call he was on speaker, “-fine, Roller. I’ll send some money your way, grab some dessert for yourselves.” He called out, hearing him confirm his request. 

“Good. See you guys whenever I can. Better hear back from you, G. No excuses this time.” 

“No excuses. Promise. Have a safe trip.” Goth assured, both friends saying their goodbyes before the call cut out. 

Cray shut his eyes as he listened to the silence of the hotel room settle, almost as if it was mocking him for surrendering, for letting the opportunity he had slip through his fingers. Instead of allowing the heavy malliked sensation to linger, he focused on the old clothes that he had shed the night prior to littering the floor, stuffing them into his backpack in haste. He checked out as quickly as he could, tossing his bag into the side compartment. The second he kicked the stand back, the artist stilled, an ounce of hesitation instilled in him as he thought about meeting with Goth before he disappeared again. 

‘It’s only a goodbye. It’s not like he knew…’ the second thought that surfaced immediately after the wishful first one was the much-needed reality check. 

‘You say goodbye in person, it’s gonna fuck you up and you know it.’ 

Cray drove off not a moment after, following just the roads in search of the next city over, not too worried about turning up somewhere unexpected. He passed a few mile markers before entering the city, taking in the foreign environment as he drove through. The red light gave him time to scroll through his phone, figure out what this place had to offer in terms of brunch, the few dessert places that were presented first seeming far more desirable. He went ahead and pulled up the directions to the first option, setting his phone back on the mount, and followed accordingly. It wasn’t long until he arrived at the shop, parking his bike before pulling his helmet off, looking over the quaint establishment before walking in, helping himself to a table closest to the door. All he needed was something to satiate his growling stomach then he’d be well on his way. His ill-matched eyes wandered over to the small menu that was propped up and picked it up, finding the name of the shop printed on one side while the other contained an assortment of confections this place offered. Though his eyes merely skimmed over the shortlist, his hunger made itself known the second he read cheesecake. With his decision made, Cray set the card stock back on its stand and wandered into the lane, leaving his helmet on the table to avoid losing another precious thing. Try as he might, he couldn’t completely purge every thought of his best friend, his mind far more adamant about playing those sweet scenarios he’d conjure up again and again. Had it not been for the cashier, he might’ve remained lost to those fantasies. 

“Sir? Sir, what can I get for you?” 

“My bad, uh, just a slice of cheesecake.” He fished out his card and swiped immediately, wanting nothing more than to snag his slice of cake and sulk at his table for his own idiocy. 

The monster ringing him up simply waved off the apology with a smile, “don’t worry about it. No harm in thinking,” he informed as he tore the receipt, handing it to the artist with a smile as he headed over to where the desserts were kept, gesturing for him to follow, “any specific slice you want?” 

“New York style’s fine.” 

With the selection made, he watched as the dark-boned skeleton lifted a clean cut slice up and onto his plate, setting it atop the glass display case, “enjoy!” He chirped as he headed back to the register to help the next in line, Cray surprised with how his eyes had followed the employee as they retreated to their work station. A quick few blinks and shake of his head took care of the formulation of any sort of idea, collecting the plate and utensil wordlessly as he returned to his seat. He took a bite first, wanting to gauge whether or not he'd have to find a different bakery, and was pleasantly surprised to find the food served here was immaculate, almost as if he had been given his own personal slice of heaven. He helped himself to another. And another. Little by little, the cake disappeared off the plate, the artist rising from his seat so he could purchase another slice. Cray paid no attention to the small line slowly dispersing after receiving their desired sweets, his point of focus on the cashier tending to the customers. Though his bones were dark as night, his smile, a simple expression brightening up his features in every way, and the deep azure magic that made up his eyes glowed in such a manner that made it seem less so. A notable line of that same midnight blue ran along the edges of his ulna, his eyes following them up until the sleeve of his shirt hid how far that bright pinstripe went. Cray found himself at the front of the line when the face he studied had come so close, astounded that his eyes could glow brighter, probably in recognition considering his posture grew lax. 

“You sure ready this time?” He teased playfully, the taller of the two nodding with a laugh. 

“Won’t freeze up on ya this time,” he chuckled as he skimmed the menu hanging behind him, listening to the shorter of the two laugh along, “I just wanna get two more slices of that cheesecake and a cup of coffee.” He didn’t even wait to hear his total, paying the bill almost immediately. 

“Coffee’ll be out in a minute,” he informed as he placed two slices on the plate before sliding the sweet confection his way, “you mind the wait?” 

“Nah. Bring it out whenever you can.” He waved off effortlessly, taking hold of the plate the second it was in front of him and grabbing a spoon, catching sight of his smile and returning one. 

“It’ll be out in a few, stranger.” 

The artist was certain that the little nickname prompted his desire to introduce himself, “name’s Cray,” he stated simply.   
“I’ll come find ya when it’s ready, Cray.” 

With that, the white-boned skeleton returned to his seat, pacing the bites of the cheesecake he took to have the tasty dessert last longer. The calculated portions also allowed him time to think, his mind wandering from the events that transpired yesterday to this morning before guiding his focus back to the cashier of this establishment. He was about halfway through the first slice when he heard a soft ‘clink’ against the table, looking up only to find the cashier retreating quickly to the back room. His bone brows furrowed, his gaze set on the door that the cashier hid behind. 

“So much for thinking…” his words trailed off the second he caught sight of the coffee cup. There, scrawled in blue ink, was a series of numbers accompanied by a name, the small heart that followed rousing a chuckle from the customer. His phone was in his hands moments after reading the little message that followed those two things, slipping the number into his contacts before sending a message. 

Didn’t even get a chance to say thanks

He hit send and set his phone aside, taking a bite of the cheesecake he ordered before his mismatched eyes could wander to the door he disappeared behind, waiting to see whether or not he’d return to the front counter. The buzz of his phone got his attention, cracking a smile at his responses. 

Dawsey: you don’t have to it’s my job

Cray laughed at the thought of the skeleton frowning at his message, seeing as the message left on his coffee cup was nothing short of flirty, and sent the next message shortly after, tending to the dessert on his plate. 

Does your job also include leaving a cute boy’s number on the side of my cup? 

…

Dawsey: It does if the menu looks good...

…

Lots of lucky guys, huh? 

…

Dawsey: You’d be the first 

Cray set his phone down at the sound of a door pushing open, taking a sip from the coffee that had gone forgotten, a smile on his face when he heard a pair of footsteps approaching his side. The low groans of the chair across him moving didn’t go unnoticed, a terse laugh leaving the taller once the seat across from his own was occupied. 

“Y’know, I’m pretty honored to be the first,” he chuckled as he took another hearty sip.

“As you should,” was all the response he got in return, the laughter that followed somehow sweeter than he could’ve imagined.

“I hope that you’re not doing anything for dinner,” the artist humored with hopes that the intention behind his asking had been clear enough. 

“Unfortunately,” the quiet sigh Cray let out accompanied the one Dawsey released, “think you could keep tomorrow night open for me?” At least his little line had made sense, that being more than enough to instill some relief in him and continue the conversation. 

“I suppose I could put going back home on hold,” a quiet ‘ah’ left the dark boned skeleton, his gaze set firmly on the warm cup in his hands. 

“You don’t have to do that. You’re busy, I get-” 

“Doesn’t hurt to stop and smell the flowers,” the white-boned skeleton interjected, a strong sense of disdain growing at the idea of disappointing the monster sitting before him, “I’m free whenever you are.” 

“I’ve got an order to make before the customer shows up tomorrow to collect,” Dawsey took another sip of the tea, a quiet sigh leaving him at the warmth the drink provided, “after twelve, I’m as free as you’re making yourself out to be.” 

“Sounds like five would work perfectly for both of us, huh?” The taller offered with a chuckle as he too finished up the last of his coffee, “who’s the supplier of this place? They make one hell of a cheesecake.” 

“That’d be my doing, proud owner and only worker,” the baker laughed with his hand half raised, “it’s why I left after giving you your coffee. Cakes were done and I had to put them on display.” 

“I’ll be damned,” Cray mused as he took in another piece of the cheesecake that decorated his plate, “you got some sort of magic, Dawsey. it’s delicious.” 

“More like years of practice than magic, but I’ll take the compliment nonethe-” his thought had gone interrupted once more, the watch on his wrist alerting him of what might’ve been a preset timer going off, “sorry, give me a sec. Cake’s done and I still have to ice it.” 

“It’s cool. We’ll talk tomorrow. I’ll text you. I’ve only got a bike so remember to grab a jacket,” Cray assured, rising to his feet when he listened to the eager baker confirm their plans, “see ya tomorrow, Dawsey.” 

“You too, stranger,” a snicker left Cray as he nodded to the little nickname he picked up, waving to the black bones skeleton before stepping out of the cafe with helmet in hand. 

He headed over to where his bike had been parked, getting on the bike and holding back from starting the vehicle. Instead, he skimmed through his phone in search for a hotel cheap enough for a spontaneous booking. Just his luck, he had come across one that would offer a room so soon and at a far more affordable price. The taller booked it almost immediately, starting the sports bike up and taking a minute to listen to the engine purr soothingly while securing his helmet. With a sharp rev of the engine, Cray pulled out the parking spot, driving off in the direction of the hotel. He took this drive as a chance to find a quaint spot to take little Dawsey to, disappointment seeping in as the first location that had come to mind was the cafe the smaller worked at. A few restaurants passed by as he approached the hotel, each one being carefully considered. It took very little time to park and get checked in, his mismatched eyes scanning the room he was lent after setting his helmet on the table. Not a moment later, he flopped onto the bed, pulling his phone out to review the few options he saw on his way here. The first restaurant seemed nice, a little retro-themed diner complete with checkerboard floors, comfy booths, and what appeared to be a jukebox. The place itself seemed to resonate with the cliche idea of sharing a milkshake, only the one he was sharing it with donned an unmistakable red scarf and flushed with a gorgeous lavender hue. 

‘Goth’s taken and he’s happier. Goth’s taken and he’s happier. Goth’s taken and… he’s happier… without me.’ 

He forced that thought into his head time and time again, the last reiteration a cold wave that crashed over him. Cray looked to the diner again, this time muttering the baker’s name again and again so that the image in his mind could change. After a minute, the scene changed completely, the milkshake gone, replaced with the typical banana split, and a dark hand offered a spoonful of the classic treat. The smile on Dawsey’s face was sweet, as if reminding him that all was and will be well. Cray didn’t even take any other restaurant into consideration, finding himself selecting the diner for a nonchalant date. He switched applications immediately, selecting the short conversation he had with Dawsey only to be interrupted by another incoming message. Without reading the name, he tapped the notification, being brought to his conversation with Goth to view the picture he had sent. Reflexively, he shut his eyes, trying not to glare at the arm that wrapped around the smaller and envy the skeleton it belonged to only to have to look the second he felt his phone buzz in his hands. 

Goth: He took me out to a park, even planned a picnic for all three of us. Wish you could’ve been here for it. How’d the meeting go? 

…

Cray knew that the move Palette had made was out of generosity, but he couldn’t stem the thought of having his place be set and empty as a taunt to what he had lost. With no sensible reason for any sort of hostility, the artist went for the former, responding accordingly before setting his phone on the nightstand. 

How cute. Tell Roller I said thanks. Feels nice to be remembered. Meeting’s going good. Talk in a bit. 

…

He grabbed hold of the remote and turned it on, vaguely watching the movie that played in hopes of getting his wandering mind to focus on something other than the deep despondency that called to him. How much time had passed from then, he didn’t know. The movies that continued to seamlessly stream on the television failed to serve its purpose since each buzz of his phone had his whole body jolting to answer its muffled call. He learned that Palette took him out to dinner, saw the food he treated him to, and the adorable smile on his friend’s face as he showed off the flowers he received at the end of the night. The artist wasn’t blind to how happy his friend is and that hurt the most. Though he knew he did the right thing, that seeing his friend happy should’ve made him just as happy in turn, but it had been the opposite. He was miserable, upset by the fact that it couldn’t have been him to put such a smile on his face. He had no desire to continue to stare at the pictures sent to him, returning to the long list of messages so he had a moment to regain his composure before formulating a response. Instead, his gaze wandered down to the second person he had texted today. Cray hovered over the contact name for a moment, contemplating whether or not he was making the right move. 

‘It’s late. He’s probably asleep by now…’ came one thought, a few more supporting the decision to leave the poor monster alone until one rang loud enough to clear the others out. 

‘You deserve to be selfish. He’s interested! For once in your goddamn life, take the chance before you lose it again!’ 

That was all he needed to hear, clicking on his new friend’s name and sent him a concise message, one that conveyed far more than a series of messages would have ever done. There, in the small blue bubble, were the two words that put what his soul felt on a clear display. 

You up?

The artist waited, his breathing almost nonexistent when he saw the gray bubbles come to life almost instantly and bounce sporadically. His response came mere milliseconds after his own, three words that brought life to his soul. 

Dawsey: Yeah come over 

His address popped up shortly after, Cray’s cue to clamber out of the hotel bed. He grabbed the keys to his bike and the card to his room before bolting out, paying no mind to the few weary onlookers that watched him hurry out to his bike. Everything that followed was a blur, from his keys finding its way into the ignition to the actual drive to the smaller’s apartment. He parked the second his building number came into view, momentarily fumbling with the kickstand until he managed, and ran up to his apartment. He only had to knock twice to watch the door open, meeting the vibrant cyan eyes of his friend and noticed the subtle shift in his arms. 

“I’m l-leaving tonight,” he croaked, the lump in his false throat only making it harder to swallow the tears that threatened to make their presence known. 

“Come here,” Cray didn’t even process his words, simply leaning down and resting his head on the black-boned skeleton’s shoulders, “smelling the flowers, my ass. I knew you were lying back at the shop.” 

“What else c-could I have done?” His words were followed by a dejected sigh, finding a small ounce of comfort be restored when a pair of arms wrapped around him. 

“Said the truth. It probably would’ve hurt a hell of a lot less and maybeI could’ve helped,” Cray could barely make out what he was going to say in response to that, trying to conjure up some sort of excuse for his lie only to find his mind was a clean slate, “come on inside.” With cautious motions, he guided the distraught skeleton inside, kicking the door shut behind him as he maneuvered the pair towards the couch, “did something happen?” He asked quietly, Cray’s mismatched eyes hardly focusing on the other’s words, the thumb brushing along the underside of his eyes helping him realize that he had been crying, “I know that face all too well,” he murmured, worry overtaking his features as he watched the tall skeleton cradle the hand that held him, “Cray, you need to focus on yourself right now. Be a little selfish.” 

Unbeknownst to the baker, those last words of his mimicked his earlier thoughts, the artist’s attention falling onto him almost immediately and finally maintaining the concerned gaze the smaller sent his way. 

“Be selfish?” His voice quiet as he reiterated the advice, his nod only ensuring that the idea he had was a good one, a soft magenta and deep green lighting up his face as his line of sight wandered from his eyes to his ‘lips’, “could I kiss you?” 

Now it was the baker’s turn for more of that lovely cyan to coat his face, “w-what?” 

“Could I kiss you?” He repeated his question, looking to the smaller with all seriousness as he waited for an answer, “please.” 

“I-I mean… I’m n-not a great kisser or anyth-” his breathing hitched at the pair of ‘lips’ he felt brush against his clavicle and subtly work its way up along his neck, “Cray?” 

“You said to be selfish,” he murmured quietly, reminding Dawsey of his words before occasionally pressing featherlight kisses to the bone, “I decided I-” 

“I know you’re hurt, but this isn’t really-” 

“-I need you.” Those words silenced any form of rebuttal that seemed to surface, the hesitation he expressed relaxing almost instantly. 

“What?” 

“I need you, Dawsey,” he reiterated shamelessly. 

A small smile cracked at his mute features, letting out a string of weak laughs with a small shake of his head, “you’re lucky I’m off work. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to flirt back.” 

That statement was all the permission the distraught artist needed, leaning in only to come to a halt a mere inch away from his ‘lips’ when he felt a hand pressed firmly against his chest, his line of sight retreating to provide the same comfort that the other’s eyes provided him, “Dawsey? Are you okay?”

“Just w-wanted to check if you’d stop if I a-asked,” he mumbled, as if embarrassed and ashamed that he had assumed otherwise. Cray paid his worries no mind, delivering a small kiss to his forehead before peppering a few more to the fingers he held so delicately and a smile to assure that no damage had been done. 

“Can I?” He humored, watching his shoulders shake with mirth before shrugging. 

“I dunno, can you?” He offered playfully, Cray feeling the hand that kept them apart drift towards his shoulder as he returned the playful smile. 

“I most certainly can,” was all that was said, the minimal distance nonexistent as both leaned in. 

Their ‘lips’ joined in a curious, almost shy, union and moving in sync after a brief moment of experimentation. The smaller was the first to pull away, their eyes flicking open to meet as their soft pants mingled with one another, an earnest smile shared as their faces lit up their respective hues. Watching the smaller’s gaze drift towards his ‘lips’ once more had Cray yearning for another, the artist’s mouth closing over Dawsey’s, this time, very carefully, allowing his tongue to snake into and claim the baker’s for his own. He licked up all that he could, procuring a soft moan when he toyed with the other’s tongue, barely registering the taste of cinnamon with his focus on the wet appendage until they parted. 

“...sweet…” Cray murmured quietly, breathless as he continued to trail small featherlight kisses down to his clavicle, his attention focused on the source behind the soft hitch in Dawsey’s breathing, “...you have something with cinnamon before I got here?” A smug grin lit up his face as he barely halted his ministrations long enough for him to answer, giving that sensitive spot a little nibble and loving the sounds he emitted in return. 

The notes of affection hardly waned as his hands began to travel, his initial fumbling smoothening as he undid the buttons on the pale nightshirt with haste, brushing the delicate fabric off his shoulders to reveal the ebony bones hidden beneath, his joints radiating the same soft azure that his eyes glowed with. It was then he found out that deep blue pinstripe ran along the entirety of his arm, glowing dimly as Cray gingerly trailed his fingers along that line. Just as his hands were close to grazing his ribcage, he felt a hand press against his chest once more, the concern in Cray’s mismatched eyes melting at the tugging sensation directed to the hem of his tee. 

“N-Not fair that I’m the only one getting naked,” the pout he wore laced with mirth, both sharing a terse laugh at the little jab before allowing the smaller to peel the shirt off of him, finding Dawsey entranced by the pristine condition of his bones.

“Better?” Cray mused quietly, the baker humming his approval. 

“Almost,” he plucked at the waistband of the taller’s shorts, watching those too join the growing pile, “much.” 

“Now come here~” Cray purred as he grabbed hold of the other, a flurry of giggles following as he twisted their position, Dawsey beneath him and humming as he kissed him once more, “summon whatever you’re comfortable with.” He added before delivering kiss after kiss to the exposed jet black bones, traveling further down until he was met with the fuzzy material of his pants, almost convinced that sparing a glance up to confirm was needed until he met his heart-shaped eyes, Cray momentarily caught off guard by the warmth that washed over him. 

A hushed mewl brushing past him brought the taller back to his senses, his mouth agape at the sight of those heart-shaped eyes glowing brighter, “why’d you stop?” 

“Y-You look so beautiful from here,” he admitted with a sigh, momentarily admiring the other as his face burned a deeper shade of blue, “a night sky,” he insisted and he grabbed hold of the pants that have yet to join the discarded pile, “my pretty night sky~” 

“Cray~” A muted whine left Dawsey as he delivered the sweet words, the chuckle that followed an excuse for how flustered he had gotten, “I want you~” 

The magenta and green that dusted his cheeks grew darker, the desire to kiss the smaller clashing with the one that felt the need to follow up on his weak demands. Removing the bottoms off the smaller helped guide his focus, the magic churning at the pelvis solidifying to create an soaked entrance before splitting off to create a pair of succulent thighs. The article of clothing joined the others, Cray hardly paying any mind to where it had fallen as he lifted his legs up, peppering notes of affection to the supple flesh and making his way back up to his face. The artist met his partner’s ‘lips’ once more, letting Dawsey twine his arms around his neck to mimic the hold his legs had on his waist, both pulling away when their need grew. 

“Let me know when I can move, okay?” Dawsey giggled at the sweet gesture, nodding before hugging him closer. 

He rubbed his cock between his legs, grinding softly against along the slit before pushing in, listening to the breathless moan devolve into quiet pants as he waited for his cue, nibbling at the sweet spot he managed to pinpoint on his neck to possibly distract him from the pain. His plan sounded like it worked, Dawsey letting out a stream of blissful moans while tightening his hold on Cray, taking the subtle squeeze to his hips as his cue. He gave a small thrust only to hear his name uttered with such desire, his soul yearning to hear it as many times as he could. 

“Dawsey,” he felt him tremble at the soft moan he gave a few more shallow thrusts, the baker emitting a moan at the sound of his name slipping off the taller’s tongue the way it did. 

“Cray- ah… fa-Ah…~” his whine was incomplete yet adhered to almost immediately, the taller pulling out until the tip before slamming back in, continuing to thrust at such a depth while increasing the speed. 

Dawsey’s soft moans morphed into screams of pure pleasure, the sharp creaks and groans of the bed drowned by the baker’s whorish moans, who gripped tightly on the taller’s ribs as he effectively fucked him into the mattress. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he was carried off by multiple waves of euphoria, his volume hardly getting any quieter as Cray sped up. With every moan of his partner paired with the sound of their pseudo skin meeting adently, there was a tightness at his core, his rhythm becoming more sporadic as an attempt to reach the climax they both desperately craved. With worry that the smaller might not reach that heightened state at the same time, Cray trailed his hand down to their union, roughly thumbing his touch starved clit as he sealed his mouth over his, swallowing his moans as he licked and sucked his tongue was a whole new high for Cray, that pleasant tension he felt coming to an undeniable bursting point. The taller pulled away to hear Dawsey shriek in absolute ecstasy, the warm walls that once lovingly embraced his cock choking it, and he forced himself through that tightness with a few more sharp thrusts before jutting his hips flush against the smaller’s, groaning as he spilled his seed into his spent entrance. 

“God, that felt good….” soft pants broke up the baker’s sentence, the short kiss Cray delivered doing him no favors in leveling it off. 

“Yeah…” being mindful of his sensitive state, he pulled out and fell beside the baker, feeling him turn and curl up into his side, “would you believe you're my first?” 

Dawsey couldn’t stem his laughter, shaking his head as he pulled the taller close, “there’s no way. You were too good.” 

“It’s true,” the artist chuckled, finding himself wrapping an arm around his shoulder only to feel the smaller move his head so that it rested on his chest in turn, close enough for the two to hear each other’s souls thrum as they calmed from their highs. Cray could feel Dawsey absentmindedly trace nonsensical shapes into his bare ribs, the senseless motions far more calming than he had expected. The careful hand paired with the silence that settled almost coaxed him to his slumber, the only thing keeping him awake being the contemplative look on the smaller’s face. 

“I… I know, earlier, you said you had to head out tonight, but…” the colorful skeleton nodding so he could finish his thought, “will you stay?” 

The taller’s gaze drifted off to where his phone rested the second the smaller looked up at him, recalling the string of messages he had been subjected to prior to messaging him, “I’ve got no reason to be staying…” 

“W-What if I gave you a reason to?” That had his attention, his mismatched eyes meeting the azure eyes that seemed hurt by his answer, Cray close to opening his mouth to ask only to hear him state the reason, “I like you, like really like you,” he murmured, the artist almost certain their face was lit up that lovely shade of navy, “and I feel like… once you leave, this…” he nuzzled into his hold as if emphasizing what he was referring to, “is the last I’d see of you.” 

“Dawsey,” he mumbled, the name meaning so much to him now that he had so many warm feelings to associate with it. The smaller took his quiet call as final, hugging the taller tight in fear of watching him get up to collect his clothes and walk right out that bedroom door. 

“Just… give me a chance. I-” the artist didn’t want to hear him plead, not when he’s already considered letting him have one, and kissed him, his free hand coming up to cup the other’s cheek. He pulled away, opening his eyes to find his worried gaze already set on him, and pressed another kiss, this time to his nasal bone before smiling. 

“I told you I need you, didn’t I?” He asked softly, watching him nod and pressing a kiss to his forehead when he did, “I meant that Dawsey. I really do need you, but…” he rested his forehead against the smaller’s, shutting his eyes to avoid feeling far more ashamed than he did, “I can’t say it. I know I have strong feelings for you. I want to see you happy and be with you when you are, but I feel like I can’t make that promise without feeling like I’m lying-” he didn’t get a chance to stammer off into a tangent fueled by his uncertainty, feeling the smaller’s mouth press firmly against his own, effectively silencing any further argument he might have, and pulled away with a warm smile on his face. 

Dawsey shifted slightly, bringing the taller close so that he could lay his head on his chest this time, Cray nuzzling into the loving gesture and returning the warm embrace only to feel a gentle hand brush against the back of his skull in careful downward strokes, “that’s okay,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of his head as he helped him unwind that tight cool of tension, “that’s more than okay. I don’t need to hear it if you’re not ready. I just want you to stay, let me take you out to dinner and a movie, see if we can do this. You can tell me whenever you feel like it’s the most honest.” 

“I asked you, remember?” He brought up playfully, listening to the dark bones skeleton laugh and nod, admitting that he was leaving the details guiding their date in Cray’s hands, “so… you’ll wait on me?” Dawsey giggled at the innocent manner the question was asked and nodded once more, kissing the top of his head once more as confirmation and finalization. 

“I’ll wait on you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone got a good ship name for these two because I am at a total loss XD


End file.
